The Tale of a Swan
by Chances vs Pills
Summary: Odile asked Yuko for help. 2 years later, she must pay with her time. Now she travels with Syaoran and the others, helping search for the feathers. Only, Rothbart isn't dead like she thought and she can't ignore her title as Queen much longer. KuroxOC DISCONTINUED
1. Disclaimer

Disclaimer

I do not own Tsubasa Reservoir Chronicles.

I was influenced by the storyline of the Russian ballet, "Swan Lake," by Pyotr Tchaikovsky, but this is not a crossover.

The names Odile, Odette, Rothbart, and Siegfried are from the story, however, everything else about them is of my creating.

Please enjoy.


	2. In the Beginning I

In the Beginning I

She walks on the side of the dirt road out of town. She pulls the pack farther up her shoulder. She kicks a rock and stumbles a little. Her muscles ache from today's work. Her skin feels dry and dirty. The air is warm and breeze is cool. Soon it will be fall and the picking season will be over and she'll be out of the job till spring.

She crosses the road to another, smaller, path through the forest. She follows it up hill, finding her tiny cabin at the end of it. It sits in a clearing, like a meadow. The structure is made of wood and stone.

Pulling the key from her pocket, she enters. To the left are a stove, sink, and icebox with a dining table severing as the kitchen. There are a couple of counters and shelves filled with kitchen things. There is a small room in the back that is the bathroom. In the other corner are a small couch and a bookshelf by the fireplace. To her right, are the bed and a dresser.

She sets the pack on the dining table, it falls over and fruits and veggies fall out. She curses under her breath and picks up the fruit. She pulls out two packs of meat, putting one in the icebox and leaving the other out. She crosses the room, removing her tank top and trousers, throwing them into a basket by the dresser. She takes a change of clothes and heads to the bathroom to shower.

The hot water washes away the dirt and grime. She lets it cascade down her body. Her hair sticks to her skin, letting water drip into her eyes. She turns the water off and grabs a towel. Once dry, she dresses in her undergarments. Leaving a towel on her head, she pulls on a pair of jeans, tight around her legs and a sweater, the sleeves reach to her fingertips.

Looking in the mirror, she pulls her red hair back into a ponytail. Two locks, different in length but too short to join the tail; fall to either side of her face. She brushes her bangs to the left side of her face. Her hair was once a bright, brilliant red, but now, as her own spirit fades, the color of her hair has become a darker, deeper red. It bothers her that her outside reflects on how she is on the inside. She is cold, inside and out. She's locked away all the warm feelings and emotions so long ago. As soon as she did that, only cold was left.

She grabs an apple from the dinning table. Taking a bite, she rubs her arm, trying to warm herself. She decides to start a fire. At least then, she can pretend to be warm. Leaving the apple on the counter, she slips on her boots and coat and steps outside.

She grabs several pieces of wood from the back of the cabin. As she heads for the door, the ground under her becomes like nothing else. She sinks in, into a rainbow of colors. The colors reach up towards her, pulling her into the ground. She throws the wood away, tries to claw herself out. There's a scream, but it's not her own. The sound stuns her. She is pulled in. Soon she is floating in the colors, but only for a moment.

The hot, humid air is the first to hit her. Next was the rain. The colors had disappeared around her like a bubble when you pop it. Tall buildings that seemed to be made of metal and glass reach high into the sky all around her. The sky above her is dark and cloudy.

"Princess Odile," says a female voice.

She looks to find a woman standing in front of her. She's met this woman before. She touches the tattoo on her chest, the memory creeping on her. She shakes her head, casting it away. "It's Anna now," she says to the woman. The woman is Yuko, the Dimensional Witch. She stands before her, dressed in a black dress of a foreign design, but beautiful no less. Her hair was pulled in a bun but still falls down behind her back.

The witch smiles. "It's time for you to pay your price, Ms. Anna."


	3. In the Beginning II

In the Beginning II

This takes Anna by surprise, but only for a moment. She knew this was coming, sooner rather than later. "My time," she states, walking closer to the witch. "And how will I pay it?"

"Give me your hand," the witch orders, extending her own. Anna gives her the left hand, catching a glimpse of the ring on the middle finger. There is a pinch in her heart.

The witch takes Anna's hand in both of hers. Anna's fingers are cold and Yuko's are warm. Something takes place around her wrist. She takes her hand away slowly, finding a silver bangle on her. "When this—" the witch begins, but stops short.

There is a noise behind her. She turns to find the raining pulling away, the air stretching like malleable iron. It hits the ground and pops, revealing a boy with a girl in his arms. Anna steps to the side of the witch, who has grown serious in the face.

"Are you the Space-Time Witch?" the boy all but yells.

Anna crosses her arms. "I have been called that," answers the witch.

"I NEED YOU TO SAVE SAKURA!" he yells this time, holding the girl tighter.

"This child's name is Sakura?" asks the witch.

"Yes!"

"And you? What is your name?"

"I'm Syaoran."

Yuko steps closer to the boy and girl. With one finger, she touches the girl's forehead. After a moment, she declares that the child has lost something very precious and that this something has been scattered throughout many different worlds. In addition to this, she says that if nothing is done, that the girl will die. The boy looks heartbroken, hugging the girl, clenching his teeth.

Yuko didn't have to say it out loud, Anna could tell just from looking at the girl. Her heart is missing. Her body is empty.

Yuko calls for a boy dressed in black and orders him to get something from the Treasure Room. When she asks if the boy wishes to save the girl, he says yes, no questions asked. Anna holds herself; a shiver runs up her spine. She looks at the ring on her middle finger. Vines and roses on engraved in the gold. There are tree clear stones in hearts of three of the roses. A woman passes through her mind, red hair and silver eyes. She is smiling, dressed in a white gown.

"Thank you so much, Odile," she says. "None of this would've been possible without you."

She bites her lip. Hard. And tastes the metal of her blood. She licks her lip.

"Here they come," says the witch, stepping back a step, Anna still behind her. The same malleable pieces of air form from nowhere and then from the ground. They reveal two men; one in black, the other in white.

The man in white stands, a staff of gold with a blue crystal in his hands. He is dressed like he came from a cold, wintery place. His coat is long, reaching to the ground, and lined with fur. He wears the hood up, but she can still see his face. His hair is short and blonde. His eyes are blue.

The man in black, on the other hand, is kneeling on the ground, an unsheathed sword on his shoulders. There is something like armor on is torso, a belt around his waist, pants, boots, and a cape. All of this is black with red details. There is something around his face that has a crescent moon on the forehead. She can't get a good look at his face, but she notices that there is blood on his cheek. Anna puts her hands in her pockets.

The two men ask who the witch is, both in different tones. The man in white smiles and asks if Yuko is the Dimension Witch. The man in black says, "Who the hell are you?" frowning and annoyed. Anna can now see his face. His skin is tan and his eyes are red. His hair is black, short, and spiky. The man in white's hair is wavy.

Yuko demands their names first. The man in black calls himself Kurogane. He asks where he is, looking up at the buildings surrounding them. Yuko calls it Japan, which just upsets him more. He claims that his country is also Japan and that this world isn't it. The witch tries to explain, but vaguely and with a smirk on her face. The man just doesn't get it.

The man in white bows and introduces himself as Fai D. Flowright.

"Do you know where you are?" Yuko asks.

"Yes," he says. "A place where any wish can be granted if a suitable price is paid."

"That's exactly it. The reason why all of you came here is because each of you has a wish."

The man in black, now standing, says he wants to return to his home world. The man in white says he wishes to not return to his home world. Yuko thinks for a moment then says, "That is a tall order for all three of you. Even if you offered the thing you value most, none of you have enough to pay, but if the three of you paid together, you may have enough to afford it."

"What kind of crap are you spouting?" smirks the man in black.

"Mr. Black, can you keep your insults down, please?" smiles the man in white.

"I'M NOT 'MR. BLACK'!"

Anna coughs, annoyed. They look at her, including Yuko. She nods for Yuko to continue. Yuko smiles and says, "All three of your wishes are the same."

The boy wishes to go to many worlds to save the girl, in order to restore her memory. The man in black wants to go home and the man in white wants to go to many worlds in order to avoid his own. They all have different reasons, but the method to granting them is the same. If they pay together, then they can have their wishes granted.

The price for the man in black is his sword. He calls it a name Anna can't say, in or out of her head. He refuses to give it up so the witch gives him an ultimatum. If he keeps his sword, then he's stuck in this word, where he would "wander looking like a costume-contest loser, and get picked up by the police for carrying an unlawful weapon, and get plastered all over the TV for being a freak." That is what the woman said. She then added, "You realize that I'm the only person in this world who can get you out of this world?"

"THAT'S GOT TO BE A LIE!" he screams

"It's all true," says the man in white.

"You're kidding!"

The man in white smiles, giggles, and shakes his head.

"What will you do?" The woman extends her hand to take the sword, smiling, knowing that he'll give it up.

"DAMN IT!" Mr. Black shoves the sword into the woman's face. "I'll be back for it!" he declares.

Anna looks up to the gray, cloud filled sky and lets the raindrops fall down her face and her neck and into her clothes. She listens to it tap against the ground and her cold skin. Anna wonders how she'll pay back Yuko. She gave her time for the seal. Maybe she'll have to work in the shop or something. She cringes at the thought. She prefers to be alone. After these last couple years, she found that being alone is for the best.

The woman says that the price for the man in white is his marking. He too, is reluctant to give it up. He offers his staff instead, but of course the woman declines. With a sigh and a look worry, he gives up his marking.


	4. In the Beginning III

In the Beginning III

The boy agrees to pay the price before Yuko even names it. She clarifies that she can only send him to other worlds, but finding what the girl has lost will be something that he has to do. He agrees and the boy from earlier runs out with two little creatures in his hands. One is white and the other is black.

Yuko thinks again for a moment then speaks, facing Anna. "This is how you will repay me."

She takes her hands from her pockets. "Please explain," she says, gripping the bracelet with one finger.

"You will travel with them," she points to the men and children. "You will aid that boy in finding the pieces of memory. This is how you will use your time that you owe me."

The words hit Anna, brick by brick. Then the confusion overwhelms her. "You want me to travel worlds?" Pause. "May I ask how that works?"

The witch nods and points to Anna's chest. "The seal I gave you; your soul cannot move on because of it. That is the price for your travel in order to pay with your time."

Anna thinks it over. _My time for the seal. My afterlife for the travel. Doesn't really seem fair, but there's nothing I can do about it now. _

She nods and walks over to where the others stand. The man in white smiles down at her. He's only a few inches taller.

"The bracelet will break when your price is paid in full," explains the witch. "Once that happens, you will not be able to move forward to the next world."

Anna now feels irritated. She opens her mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. She only nods.

The witch then grabs the white creature. It looks kind of like a round rabbit. A red stone sits in the middle of its forehead and it smiles weirdly.

"This little one is named Mokona Modoki," says the witch. The creature will lead them through the worlds. The black one is used to keep in contact with the white one. Mokona will take them to different worlds but there is no way to control where. Therefore, there is no way to know when your wishes will be granted. She goes on to say that there is no coincidence, only Hitsuzen. Something Anna understands and wishes she didn't.

She names the boy's price. His relationship with the girl. When asked what the girl is to him, the boy says that she is a childhood friend, the princess of a country, and a girl who is very precious to him. His face grows pained with every word. Upon further explanation, even if the boy retrieves all the girl's memory, the one memory that will never be retrieved is the memories she's had of the boy.

Even so, the boy still pays the price.

The white creature jumps into the air, wings appear at its back, much larger than its self. A magic circle glows underneath it. Its mouth opens huge and wide. It begins to suck them in. Anna tenses herself, so do the others, but the white creature swallows them. The colors overtake her once again.


	5. Hanshin Republic I

Hanshin Republic I

There is a pounding in her head before she opens her eyes. She sits up and looks around. She's in a small room, sitting on the floor. Her boots are gone, she notices.

"Ah, you're awake."

She turns to find the man in white to her left, on the other side of the boy and girl, who are still sleeping. The girl is sickly pale. Anna reaches a hand towards her. The boy's grip tightens slightly, but he remains asleep. She leaves it be. With a sigh, she stands, stretching her legs and arms. She finds the man in black sitting in the corner. She yawns and rubs her eyes.

Something lands on her head. She tilts her head up and the white creature looks down at her. "Puu!" it goes. It rubs a towel over her forehead.

She wraps her hand around it, its fur soft and its body squishy. She pokes its belly and it giggles. She smiles at it half-heartedly. She thought it would amuse her but it didn't. Nothing really amuses her anymore. When she was still a child, before she was crowned, then maybe she would've laughed and called it cute.

The creature jumps from her hands onto the boy's chest. It begins to dry his face. Anna takes a seat against the wall, a foot or two away from the man in black.

The room is small and strange to her. She looks up at the ceiling, then back to the mats under her. Pulling her legs up to her chest, she sets her chin on her knee.

"SAKURA!" the boy screams. This startles Anna and she sits up, arms around her legs.

The boy is now sitting up, the girl still in her arms. The man in white explains that he and the creature were trying to dry them off. The man in white says that even while he slept, he didn't let go of the girl.

"So you… er…" the man in white stutters but continues to smile.

"Call me Syaoran," the boy says.

"You can call me Fai," says the man in white. Anna notices that he took off his coat. Two, actually. He is very slender in build. "And, Mr. Black over there. What'll we call you?"

This angers him. "I am NOT 'Mr. Black'! I'm Kurogane!" The white creature then pulps down on his lap. "You… Thing! Don't get comfortable there!"

"Kurogane, huh?" Fai ponders the name. "So what works? Kuro-chan? Kurorin? Kuro Kuro?"

"It's Kurogane!"

"I don't think teasing him is the best thing to do, Mr. Fai," says Anna. "I think he bites."

Fai looks at her and smiles widely, letting out a laugh.

"Hey!" Kurogane yells.

Anna shrugs, smiles faintly, and looks at the floor. It's really loud in here. She used to the quiet of her cabin. Even the farm was quieter than this.

Kurogane gives out a "tsk" sound.

"What did you say your name was?" Fai asks her.

"Anna," she answers.

"That's a pretty name."

"Thank you." She puts her chin back on her knees. _Only until the bracelet breaks, _she thinks. _Only until it breaks. _Anna was never much of a people person. Once she was crowned and took over Royal duties, she was so stressed and tired and irritable that her words were harsh, even when she didn't mean them to be. Now, she has better control over it, but she's still easily irritated.

Then without warning, Fai reaches around the boy, causing him to freeze up and yell. Anna looks at the boy and the shock on his face.

"What do you think you're doing?" says Kurogane.

Fai pulls out a feather. It's white, slender, and has reddish marking on it. "Is this what a piece of memory looks like for her?" The boy is surprised, but seems happy. "It was stuck to you. Only one though."

The feather falls into the girl's chest.

"Her body is a little warmer," he whispers. "By coincidence, one stuck to my clothes," he sighs in relief.

"There is no coincidence in the world," say Fai. "That's what the witch said, wasn't it?"

"Yeah," says Anna. "She said there is only Hitsuzen." Anna went on to explain that Hirsuzen is a naturally foreordained event; a state in which other outcomes or impossible. Fai blinked at her a couple times. "It means that it would've happened regardless," she says. She hates the idea of it. It was the one thing she wished she never learned about. She tries not to think about too much.

"So…" starts Fai, "My guess is that without thinking, you grabbed it yourself." Pause. "In order to save the girl." He looks to Anna. "Right?" She shrugs but nods. "But how can we find the other feathers? I doubt that we'll find another one in our clothes."

Mokona climbs onto Fai. "Mokona knows!" the white creature jumps. "That feather gave out really big waves! So when a feather is close, Mokona will feel the big waves! And Mokona will be like this!" Mokona opens its eyes.

"GAK!" goes Kurogane.

Mokona agrees to help locate the feathers. This makes the boy cheer up a little. However, Kurogane then goes to say that this mission has nothing to do with him. That his only mission is to get back home, nothing else. That they should not expect him to stick his neck out or to help them. This doesn't faze the boy. He merely states that he'll do his best to not cause trouble for the man in black. This takes Kurogane aback.

Fai laughs out loud. "Syaoran, you're so serious!"

"Was that really necessary?" whispers Anna, not really talking to anyone.

"Did you say something, woman?" growls Kurogane.

She glares at him and he clenches his teeth. "You talk too much," she sighs, looking away from him. _Everything about this is irritating_, she thinks. She takes a deep breath, holds it, and then releases it, trying to calm down. Being with people, people she doesn't know, makes her uncomfortable.

Kurogane looks to Fai and sneers, "Well we all know _she_ has to help the brat, but what about you?"

Mokona jumps around the boy and lands at Anna's feet. She pokes its belly again and again it giggles. She begins to tickle it with her index finger. It laughs out loud, so happy. Ann's not happy, but at least the creature is.

"Hmmm," thinks Fai. "My most important mission is to not return to my world. So… Sure. I'll help you out. I've got nothing better to do."

"What'd you do anyway?" growls Kurogane to Anna.

Anna looks at him. "Are you speaking to me?"

Their eyes meet and he looks away. "It's none of your concern," she says.

The door opens then.


	6. Hanshin Republic II

Hanshin Republic II

The door opens, a man and woman enter, food and drinks in hand. The man smiles widely, happy to see that everyone is awake. He says his name is Sorata Arisugawa. The woman is Arashi, his wife. The man makes it clear that she is his wife. He addresses Kurogane personally.

"If you lay a hand on her, you'll die horribly," he says to Kurogane, smiling.

"Why do you say that to only me?" screams the man in black.

"I wasn't joking!" The man gives a thumbs up.

"I WON'T TOUCH HER!"

Meanwhile, Arashi passes warm drinks to everyone and gives a blanket to the boy, for the girl of course. Anna grasps the cup, warm in her hands. She takes a sip. She never was a fan of tea. All they ever served in the palace was tea. All her mother was good at was being a devoted wife and making strange teas. The smell of it makes her stomach turn. It's not that she hates it, because she doesn't, she's just not a huge fan it, and the memories attached to the smell of it. Compared to how she is now, those memories seem like a far off reality, like a dream.

Sorata says that Fai had told him everything about their encounter with the witch. Anna gives him a look. He only smiles back. She takes another sip, looking to the wall across from her. She'd stop drinking it if she wasn't so cold. The room they're in is warm, but she's still cold.

"This is your lucky day," the man explains. "Mokona has no idea which world is next, right? So it's a happy chance that you were brought to this world first." He crosses the room to the wall to Anna's left. He pulls back a wall panel, revealing a deck on the other side.

The view was bright, full of city lights. The buildings were covered in them. Signs in all sorts of colors. There was a river in the middle of everything, bordered by cement and lined with bridges. One thing stood out. Along the building to the left side of the river, a lighted dragon weaved through building to building. You could find the tail in one and head four buildings down.

Anna's world had power and lights, but nothing compared to this. It was nighttime and you could barely tell. She wondered what powered all the lights. Crystals mined from the cliffs and mountains powered her world.

"This is the Hanshin Republic!" adds the man.


	7. Hanshin Republic III

Hanshin Republic III

Anna read books back home, but not too many. As a child she read storybooks that told of other worlds but she thought them to be the writer's imagination. So she thought nothing of there being anything other than where she was. Then she got older, learned magic, and was taught otherwise.

There is magic in her home world. Everyone is born with the ability to learn magic, but not everyone can become great in magic. Some only master weak spells and others become the thing of legend. The farther you go with your magic, the more you can learn. Anna is a Master. She learned very much, including the existence of other worlds.

Sorata went on to tell about the Hanshin Republic. The Hanshin Republic is an island and sometimes gets hit by hurricanes but never an earthquake. They trading with other nations and export items. There are four seasons and they are currently in fall, when rice tastes the best. The Hanshin Republic has its own Constitution and Rule of Law, and by Law, they never go to war with other countries. They use many different modes of transportation that Anna has never heard of, things not in her world, like cars, motorcycles, bicycles, trains, boats, and planes. The island is shaped like a tiger, giving them the nickname of "The Tiger Country." Their currency is called the Koko, which means tiger. The tiger head is the symbol of the country.

Sorata must be a teacher. She likes listening to him, she never liked listening to people go on and on, except for her teachers. When others would go on and on, she'd get irritated. Nearly everything irritates her.

She leans back and puts her hands on her knees, her legs now crossed. She looks to the man in black to her right. He's also leaning against the wall, hands behind his head. He seems to be listening but not really understanding. She looks back to the man and sees Fai and the boy listening intently, Mokona on Fai's shoulder. The boy seems to be fascinated with what Sorata is telling them.

Fai raises his hand to ask a question, just like a student. He asks about Sorata's accent. The man answers that his accent is of an older version of the language used in the Hanshin Republic. He adds that he is a history teacher and doesn't want the old ways fade away. This strikes the boy's interest. Mokona jumps onto the boy's head when the man asks, "You have an interest in history?"

"Yes. In my world, I used to work on archaeological digs," the boy answers.

Anna leans her head back and moves her neck to the side, back and forth. She notices that Kurogane has fallen asleep, hands still behind his head. People always look so peaceful when they sleep. Kurogane still seemed slightly angry, but he was peacefully sleeping from what she could tell. Anna hasn't had a good night of sleep in over ten years, especially in these last two. Her eyelids always seem heavy and she carries an air of indifference and annoyance, regardless of the smiles she fakes. Even so, not too many people notice. Only two and a half people in her life so far have cold her out on it.

It turns out the room they are in is owned by Sorata and his wife. They manage an apartment building and this is an empty room.

"YOU!" screams Sorata. "WAKE UP!" He points to Kurogane.

Something hits Kurogane in the back of his head. He wakes up, of course, and jumps to stand, ready to defend himself. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT?" he yells, holding the back of his head, looking around the room. Just as soon as he stood, the boy was over the girl, protecting her, and Fai was also on his feet. Anna didn't stand; she just leans forward and looks up at Kurogane with bewildered eyes. She didn't see anything hit him.

Kurogane demands to know who hit him. "Bastard!" he calls Sorata. "You threw something, didn't you?"

"You were in a corner," explains Anna. "If Mr. Sorata threw anything at you, it would've hit you in the front, not the back of your head." She leans back against the wall and reaches her legs out in front on her. "Dumbass," she whispers.

"Grrr. What did you call me?" He stands over her, glaring down at her, teeth clenched. She stares up at him, indifferent. Maybe she should be intimidated, but she's not. She probably shouldn't have called him that but she's just calling it as it is, another fault that grow from her coldness.

"All right! All right you two!" coos Sorata. "Calm down!" He smiles.

Anna looks away from Kurogane. He also looks away but continues to stand.

Sorata puts his hands on his hips. "I did it with my kudan, what else? Ah! Of course! You all came from different worlds! You wouldn't know!" Sorata begins to explain. "Everyone in this world has a kudan attached."

Kurogane crosses his arms and stands tall. Anna wonders just how much taller he is than her. She doesn't have too many fighting skills but she could probably defend herself against him if she needed to.

He asks what kind of technique is kudan.

Arashi is the one to explain that even if you come from another world, once you have entered this one, a kudan will be attached to you. She kneels down by the sleeping girl. "Do you mind if I call her Sakura-san?" she asks the boy. He says it's fine. She continues, "I cannot say where Sakura-san's memory went, however, if someone has picked it up, it will be the cause of a fight. You've lost your method of battle." She says this last part to Kurogane.

"How did you know?" asks Fai.

"I thought you told them everything," says Anna.

He looks to her. "I left that part out." Anna nods, understanding. She folds her hands in her lap, tracing a finger over the bracelet. She sighs and takes off the ring.  
>She fiddles with it before putting it back on.<p>

"I'm… so sorry… Odile…"

The words echo in her head. She frowns and closes her eyes. These memories haunt her while she's awake and torture her while she's asleep. Very rarely does she has empty dreams where there is nothing but darkness. These are the dreams she values most.

Anna ran away from her title for her own selfish reasons. Reliving that day is the personal price that she has to pay. She will always to miserable. This is what she thinks.

The man says that his honey used to be a Shinto Miko and possesses spiritual powers. He smirks and adds, "She's retired ever since she married me. Her beauty when she was dresses as Miko was a God-send!" he giggles and twirls around, hugging himself.

Fai says that he gave his magic power to the Dimension Witch.

"And I handed my sword that bitch!" growls Kurogane.

Arashi looks to Anna. "My situation is a little more complicated," she says. "I'm paying Yuko back from something else by being here."

The woman nods and looks to the boy. "It wasn't any sort of power that I gave her," he says. "I never had magic or weapons or anything like that from the start."

"That may have been your good luck." She smiles faintly. She says that when it comes time to fight, that the attached kudan should be able to help.

"Then kudan was meant for battle?"

"What you use it for or how you use it is all up to you," says Sorata, crossing his arms. He says that one look can answer 100 questions. If you want to see what your kudan is, the only thing to do is see it with your own eyes. The man asks if Mokona thinks there is a feather in this world. Mokona says that there is. The man asks if Fai will help look for it.

"I might as well," says Fai.

Sorata looks at Anna, wanting her to answer his question. She smiles faintly, "Yes. That's why I'm here." This confuses the man but he doesn't ask any questions.

"If I said I wanted to leave, would you do it, you white thing?" demands Kurogane.

"No! Mokona will not leave this country until Mokona finds the feather!"

Kurogane looks away.

"Thank you, Mokona," says the boy, picking up the creature in his hands.

"All right then!" says the man, readying to leave. "While you're here, I'll vouch for you. I owe Yuko-san a favor." He takes his wife's hand and she blushes slightly. He says that they have plenty of room in the apartment that they can use until the head to the next world. He says that it's past midnight and that he'll show them you their rooms. He asks if Fai and Kurogane mind sharing a room.

"Not at all!" says Fai.

"Why do I have to stay with a complete stranger!" yells Kurogane.

"I'm not a stranger! I told you my name, didn't I?"

Mokona jumps onto Kurogane's shoulder. "Mokona told you Mokona's name, too!"

"You're stranger than all the rest!"

"Anna," says Sorata. "You come with us too. Are you alright having your own room?"

"What? Why does she—" Kurogane is cut off.

"Because she's a lady and Syaoran and Sakura-chan are using this room."

Kurogane gives a "tsk."

"Ah, you—you don't need to do that," says Anna, standing and heading for the door. "I can just—"

"It's all right! Like I said, we have plenty of room here."

Her protests were useless and halfhearted. Sorata showed her to a separate room. Kurogane and Fai shared one while the boy and girl shared another. Mokona staid with the boy.

The room was the same as the one they were in before. She notices that she never took her coat off. Taking it off, she folds it, and sets it by the door. She leaves the light off and lays on the futon Sorata laid out. She stretches her arms and legs out and stares at the dark ceiling. There is chill in her body but the room is warm. With a sigh, she turns over on her side, staring at the silver bracelet. "I wonder how long…" she whispers, pulling her legs to her chest. She closes her eyes, and tries to sleep, only to find herself swimming through unwanted memories.


	8. Hanshin Republic IV

Hanshin Republic IV

Arashi brought Anna a change of clothes the next morning, saying that she'll blend in better with them. Anna dresses in the bathroom. With her hair down, she looks in the mirror over the sink. Her hair is a bit of a mess from lying down. She runs her hands over it to flatten the stray hairs, but her hair is naturally curly. It falls down to her shoulders. She pulls it back to put it into a ponytail again. Getting closer to the mirror, she touches her cheek, just under the eye. Her skin is dark there, just proving that she hasn't slept. The darkness under eye is always there and has been there since she took over matters of state.

Her eyes are silver, just like her grandmother, mother, and sister. Their light color makes them look bigger than they really are. She thinks of the creature that swam through her dreams. It also had silver eyes, pupil, whites, and all.

Leaning over the sink, she looks at the swan tattoo on her chest, over her heart. She traces a finger over the silver and gold outline. The swan has its wings open over her breasts and up onto her shoulders. The body reaches down in between her breasts. The tail is made up of several long feathers. They trace down her middle, just reaching the top of her bellybutton. The long neck stretches up to her neck. The swan is black and outlined in silver. The tail and the tips of the wings are a dark gray and outlined in gold. The swan is beautiful. She frowns at the thought and scratches her flesh. She wants to scream but doesn't. She takes a deep breath and heals the starches.

She slips on the cream colored short-sleeved shirt that Arashi brought. The shirt is tight around her middle but the sleeves are loose. The neck is a V shape, like her sweater, but covers the tattoo, except for the swan's head on her neck. She then slides on the pleaded maroon skirt that reaches to her knees. She looks at herself in the mirror. It's been so long since she's worn a skirt. She doesn't really mind. Despite everything, she liked the gowns she wore back then. It's just that at the moment, she'd feel more comfortable in pants but she doesn't want to impose on the couple anymore than she already has.

She heads for the bathroom door, the bracelet jingles. She frowns and makes a "tch" noise and heads for the courtyard, like Arashi directed. Kurogane and Fai are already waiting outside. They are dressed in different clothes as well. The boy comes out shortly after Anna. She smiles at him, he smiles back.

She has to help the boy restore the girl. She will do this and will pretend not to mind, that she's okay with it. Even if they notice something is wrong, she will ignore them.

The boy has short brown hair and matching eyes, she notices. He is shorter than her, but she is shorter than both Kurogane and Fai. She is a whole head shorter than Kurogane.

Sorata comes out of the building, followed by Arashi. He says that staying in the rooms is no good; that they need to get out into the neighborhood and look for the feather. He looks at his watch, "Oh no! I need to get going!"

"I'll stay with Sakura-san for you," Arashi says to the boy.

The boy thanks her.

Kurogane asks if the "white thing" is coming along too. Mokona says it isn't a white thing, but that it's a Mokona, and jumps at him. "Stay away!" growls Kurogane.

Fai pokes at Mokona's cheek. "If Mokona is a white thing, then he's a black thing, right?" he teases.

"Right!"

Anna chuckles. Kurogane glares at her and she looks away, hands behind her back like she did nothing wrong.

_Pretending, _she thinks. _It's for the best. _

Sorata hands Syaoran a little bag that looks like a green frog. He says that there is enough money for lunch in it, but they'll never find a meal better than the ones his honey makes.

"Hey," says Kurogane. "Why are you giving it the kid?"

"Because he looks the most trustworthy!" He smiles. And with this, they head out, Mokona on top of the boy's head. The city was bustling, full of people. Buildings are pushed up against one another, some small and others huge. Fai asks if anyone has seen a place like this. Anna shakes her head and Syaoran says no.

"Kuro-tan, how about you?"

"Never!" screams Kurogane. "And what's with the weird names?"

They walk a little farther. Passing girls stare, smile, and giggle at Mokona. A man in a storefront calls them. "You wanna buy an apple from me?" the shopkeeper smiles. He holds up a red fruit. It looks like apples in Anna's world. Syaoran looks it over, in disbelief. He says that apples in his world are the same shape but pale yellow in color. Kurogane says that's what a pear looks like in his world. Then Syaoran says that a pear in his world is redder and has leaves coming from the top. Fai then adds, "That's a raki seed, isn't it?" Anna stays out of the debate, standing to the side with her arms crossed.

The shopkeeper grows angry. "Do you want it or not?" he yells.

"Want it!" yells Mokona, raising its stub of an arm in the air. And so they bought the apples and wandered to a bridge over the river. Anna leans against the railing like the others, apple in hand. She thinks about the apple sitting on her counter, only two bites out of it. Then she thinks of how she left the place wide-open, meat in the icebox, and fruits and veggies on the dinning table. She wonders if anyone will stumble upon her empty cabin, firewood scattered on the lawn. She will be gone for a while; the town people will wonder where she's gone. Her fellow pickers will notice for sure. She's never missed a day of work in the last two seasons.

Taking a bite, a shiver runs up her spine. She wraps an arm around herself.


	9. Hanshin Republic V

Hanshin Republic V

Anna overhears Fai going on about how they all come from different worlds. Then he asks Syaoran how he ended up at the witch's shop. Mokona holds an apple; it's almost as big as it is. But Mokona just throws the apple up I the air and swallows it whole.

Syaoran says that there is a High Priest in his world and that is who sent him. Fai is impressed, saying that it's difficult to send one person to another world, but the High Priest sent two.

"How about you, Kuro-rin?" he asks Kurogane. He mumbles under his breath about the nickname but he seems to running out of steam regarding the strange nicknames. Then his face grows serious, then cross. He says that the princess of his world sent him away by force. Fai teases him that she did it to scold him of something like that.

"What about you?" Kurogane demands from Fai. "Who sent you?"

Fai sent himself, he says. "Anna-chan," he says, leaning away from the railing to see her. She was on the other side of Kurogane. The boy stood in the middle of Kurogane and Fai. "How did you get to the witch?"

She looks at him, apple to her lips, taking another bite. The apple was sweet and crunchy. She chews and swallows before speaking. "Yuko called me to her shop unexpectedly," she says. Then she shrugs.

People begin to scream and run. Anna looks around. A group of young men are standing on a rooftop dressed in scarves and goggles. Another group, wearing hats, run onto the street. One of the yells, "This time we are going to kick your butts and take over this neighborhood!"

A man wearing goggles, probably the leader of the goggle gang puts a thumbs down.

"Whoa!" goes Fai. "They're cool!" Kurogane seems indifferent. Mokona is nowhere to be seen.

"That bastard has a special kudan but don't let that go to your head!" orders one of the hat gang members. The man in the goggles raises a hand and they all jump from the roof. Creatures appear on their hands. They use them to fire light at each other.

People all around yell at them to stop. Some one says, "What's wrong with kids these days?" The shopkeeper they bought apples from yells, "You JD brats!"

"So that's kudan, huh?" says Kurogane.

"I think I've figured out why no one was surprised to see Mokona," smiles Fai.

Stray fire hits the buildings around them. But the four of them don't move. Just then, the leader of the goggles releases his kudan, or so Anna guesses. A giant stingray circles around him to spouts a cannon of water. Floods the street, washing away the hat gang and causes a sign to fall from a building. Two young boys are under the where the sign will crash.

"WATCH OUT!" screams Syaoran, running to them. As soon as the sign is about to land, flames come from Syaoran's black, burning the sign away. The flames reveal a wolf like creature.

The goggle leader smirks. "You seem to have a special kudan there, don't cha, kid?" he says, smiling. "A kudan that can wield fire… Mine works water. This'll be interesting!" His stingray sends water flying at Syaoran. And again, the fire protects him. "I'm Shogo," says the goggle leader. "You?"

The boy gives his name.

"I like your style."

A noise fills the air. It's like high-pitched horn of some kind. IT nearly gives Anna a headache. "Shogo, the cops!" someone yells.

"Oh, man. And it was just getting good," sighs Shogo. Come on, let's get the hell outta here! Next time we meet," he calls to Syaoran, "We'll have some real fun!"

The fire wolf disappears inside of Syaoran, surprising him. Fai walks over to him, Kurogane and Anna follow. Fai says that that was amazing. Kurogane seemed to still a little confused with the whole thing, not really grasping the idea of the kudan just yet.

"You're okay, right?" Syaoran asks the kid he was trying to protect. The boy nods and the other one disappears.

"Oh!" says Fai. "That kid was a kudan!"

Kurogane puts his hands on his hips and stands up straight. "Looks like these kudan can be anything." This thought makes him a little uneasy. Anna wonders if she has a kudan. Was it the creature with the silver eyes? Anna can't remember any besides that. The creature had swum through a dream of nothing.

Fai looks around for a moment. "Where did my 'almost kudan' run off too?"

"I thought he was with you," says Anna, looking up a Kurogane, who just looks away.

"It probably got stepped on somewhere around here," he says.

They look around for a while, and then stumble upon a ground of young girls giggling and smiling. Mokona is with when, loving the attention. Anna retrieves it and Mokona waves bye-bye to the young girls from onto of her head.

She returns to the others. Fai asks where Mokona was during everything.

"On top of Kurogane," it whines. "But then, Mokona fell off!"

Anna looks up at him with a smirk and he just frowns.

"But earlier!" Mokona says urgently, "Mokona went like this!" It opens its eyes. "But nobody paid any attention!"

"You mean Sakura's feather is somewhere near by?" goes Syaoran.

"It was, but Mokona doesn't feel it anymore," it says, sadden.

"Did you figure out who had it?"

"Don't know."

"Oh… I see."

"I'm sorry."

Anna reaches up and pokes the creature in the belly. It giggles. "If we limit the search to the people who were here," says Anna to the boy, "It'll still be a long search but it's a good start."

"Yeah," he says. "And it's someone who was close by. That's pretty go progress. And of you sense anything more, let us know, okay?"

"Yes!" Mokona says.


	10. Hanshin Republic VI

Hanshin Republic VI

Anna sets Mokona on Syaoran's head. He goes to speak with the boy he had saved. The boy's name is Masayoshi and wants to do something to thank Syaoran. Mokona is the one that pipes in and says that it wants lunch, something really good. This makes the boy happy, since Syaoran was being modest and turning the boy down.

They are led to a restaurant inside a big building and sit at a table with two benches. "Sit next to me, Anna-chan!" coos Fai. Anna sits in between Fai and Kurogane. Syaoran and Masayoshi sit touch across from them. Mokona is on Kurogane's head this time.

Patties of some kind sizzle in front of them on a grill. The boy calls it okonomiyaki, a common dish in the Hanshin Republic.

Anna puts her hands over her mouth, breathing on them, trying to make them warmer. She then folds her hands in her lap and looks down at them. Looking at the bangle, she thinks that even if they move to the next world, it doesn't change how much time she owes Yuko. She can only wonder when the bracelet will break.

"Do you guys come from outside the country?" Masayoshi asks.

Fai laughs and nods. "You could say that."

Anna leans on the table. Kurogane is staring at the patties very intently. "If you stare at it any harder," she whispers to him, "It might get offended."

He glares that her and she smiles back. Mokona laughs. "Anna-chan is funny!" it sings.

_No_, she thinks, _I'm cold-hearted. _Even if she jokes and teases and smiles and smirks and laughs and chuckles, she feels nothing. She only pretends to feel anything. She only pretends to be fine. All she feels is sadness and hate and pain.

She continues to look at Kurogane, but her sight blurs as her mind wanders. She finally looks away. Kurogane, slowly, returns to staring at the patty.

The boy goes on the tell Fai and Syaoran about the fight from before, that it is semi-normal. People here form teams and fight to see whose kudan is stronger, claiming territory in the process. There are bad teams and good teams. The good ones patrol their territory to make sure there are no bad kids causing trouble. If there are bad people around, they take care of the problem. The boy says the guys in the goggle were the good guys. The boy gets so excited talking about them and their leader, Shogo, that he stands, proud. He says Shogo has a special level kudan. He says that Syaoran also has a special level kudan too.

There are four levels to a kudan's power. The fourth level is the lowest. The special level is like a fifth level. Years ago, all the countries banned the use of levels on kudan, but people still use the system anyway.

"To get a strong kudan," says Masayoshi, "Especially a special level one, you need to be a strong person yourself! It's a person's heart that controls a kudan. So if the person can command a strong kudan, that's proof that the person is strong! My kudan is fourth level—the very bottom." The boy drops his head, sad.

Kurogane finally pokes the patty.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" screams a man in waiter closes. He's tall and his hair is black. There is another man behind him with light hair.

"Your Majesty!" yells Syaoran, "And the High Priest! What brings you here?"

The man with black hair says, "You got the wrong guy. 'Your Majesty' is nowhere in my name." He looks annoyed. "And mister," he says to Kurogane, "We do the flipping here. Just wait, we'll right over."

Anna, it being the right response, chuckles a little.

"Argh, shut up!" he growls.

Looks away only with her eyes and smiles. "I didn't say anything."

He leans back in the seat. Mokona jumps from him to her. Mokona teases him. "You got yelled at!"

Masayoshi explains to Kurogane that the waiters cook the okonomiyaki.

Fai asks if that man was the king in Syaoran's country. The boy nods.

"People you've met on your world, live parallel lives in other worlds," says Anna. "They develop under completely different conditions on the other world. Things about that person may be similar from world to world, but they are a different person."

Fai looks at her. "Is that so?" She nods.

Kurogane says, "So you're saying they're the same king and high priest of the kid's world?"

"Yes and no," she says. "At the very basic level of their being, they are the same. But they lead completely different lives here."

He folds his arms, confused. "Basic level?"

"Yes. The very root of their beings. Their nature, hearts—"

"Their soul? That's what you're saying, right?"

She smiles. "Yes! I didn't think you'd get it."

"Grr."

She chuckles, setting Mokona on the table. The two waiters from before flip and prepare the patties. "Yum!" sings Mokona, trying to take the same patty Kurogane was about to eat. Anna only takes a bite or too, not too hungry.

_A kudan's power is measured by the strength of the person's heart_, she thinks. She leans back in the seat, appetite gone. _My hearts made of ice… _She traces the swan's head around her neck. Those few word he had told her cut so deep that even after two years, they're all she thinks about.

She hates that man, from the very bottom of her heart, she hates him.


	11. Hanshin Republic VII

Hanshin Republic VII

They leave the restaurant, Mokona on Syaoran's head. They walk along the walkway. The restaurant was in a large building that housed many other restaurants and shops.

"That was great!" Mokona squeals.

"Yeah," agrees Syaoran. "Thank you for taking us here. It really did taste good."

"Hey," Kurogane says, looking down at Anna. "You didn't eat."

She shrugs, "I wasn't hungry. But thanks for your concern."

"Tsk." He looks away.

"What's the plan from here?" Fai asks Syaoran.

"I thought we could search this area."

Fai thinks for a moment. He says that they don't know their way around. So they shouldn't go too far. "We have to be able to find our way back to Sora-chan's apartment."

"Um, excuse me," says Masayoshi. He offers to help them look, that he can show them around. "It's not a problem. But I should call home first. Just wait here for a second, okay?"

Fai and Mokona wave him off with a smile.

"I WANT TO KNOW WHO THIS 'SYAORAN' PERSON IS!" yells a little man with strange hair. It was purple and ran down the middle of his baldhead. He is also big and round.

"You have business with him?" Fai smiles, Mokona on her shoulder.

"Are you the one Shogo said he 'like your style'?"

"And if I am?" goes Fai.

Syaoran steps forward, saying that he is the one that the short man is looking for.

"You? You're a little kid?" He clenches his teeth. "And do you plan to join Shogo's team?" Pause. "Shogo already has too many top level people on his team! Any more will tip the balance! If you intend to join his team, I'm gonna have to stop you right here!"

"I not joining," says the boy flatly.

The man smiles, happy. "Then you'll join my team?"

"I'm not joining you either."

"He doesn't beat around the bush, does he?" laughs Fai.

"THEN YOU PLAN TO START A TEAM OF YOUR OWN!"

Syaoran puts his hands up, trying to calm the big man. "No, you're not getting the—"

"WELL I'M GONNA TAKE YOU OUT RIGHT NOW!" the man screams. A kudan appears above him. The creature looked like a crab, but without the claws or any legs. Plus, it has a tail.

Fai and Mokona speak at the same time, amazed and smiling. "That's huge!"

The tail of the kudan swings at Syaoran, throwing him back. The tail cuts through a few pillars that run through the building. Civilians run to get out of the way and out of the building. Fai takes a step forward, but Kurogane stops him.

"I've been pretty bored here," he says, and then smirks. "I'll take you on."

Syaoran protests, "But Kurogane-san! You gave your sword—"

Anna crosses her arms. She notices that Kurogane is built for battle, like he has been fighting all his life. He is tall and thin but his arms are muscular.

Kurogane explains that the sword was magic, cutting off the boy. "And in my Japan, I needed it to kill the monsters there." He steps closer to the man and his crab. "But kudan aren't monsters."

"SO WHAT LEVEL IS YOUR KUDAN?" the man yells.

_So loud, _Anna thinks. This whole situation is irritating. Confrontation, especially violent ones, is just irritating and a waste of time. Too much talking is also makes her blood heat. All the Royal Counsel did was talk and talk. They were a useless ground of old men who refused to move ahead with the times. If she had been Queen, she would've retired them all and formed a new Royal Counsel.

"I don't know and I don't care!" Kurogane smirks dangerously. "What's all the talk for? Come and get me!"

Masayoshi runs in, calling Syaoran's name. He explains that the big guy wants to control this district that is under Shogo's control. The big guy is the leader, the man Kurogane is fighting, has a first level kudan that is said to be the fastest kudan around. The kudan can also sharpen parts of its body like a blade.

"EAT THIS!" the big man screams. "CRAB POT REVOLUTION!" The crab kudan gains speed, spins round and round, towards Kurogane. Kurogane flips out of the way. The attack cuts rights throw a pillar. "GO! GO!" The crab continues to attack Kurogane.

Syaoran calls the Kurogane, telling him to watch out. He runs out to him, but Fai stops him. He says that Kuro-tan will get upset if he tries to get involved. A boulder from the ceiling falls from above them. Something wraps around her waist, pulling her back. The rock lands between her and Syaoran, Fai, and Masayoshi.

"You all right over there, Anna-chan?" calls Fai.

"Yeah," she calls back, looking at what is around her waist. She turns around and finds a giant snake like creature with large silver eyes. Just behind the eyes are what seem to be pointy ears and long bone white horns. Its scales are a deep ocean blue color. The scales atop its head are in a diamond of light blue scales.

"CRAB FREESTYLE!" the man yells. The tail of the crab wipes at Kurogane over and over, too fast to really comprehend. Pillars fall and crash around Kurogane into a pile of stone. Syaoran yells his name, and the man continues to mock Kurogane, "Where's your kudan, huh? You're probably so weak that you're ashamed to bring it out!"

The snake creature smiles widely and disappears inside her chest.

"Oh, shut up!" Kurogane yells, lifting a large piece of a pillar off him. "You guys talk way too much!"

The man brags about his kudan, saying that its shell it tougher than most first level kudan. This doesn't faze Kurogane. He cracks his knuckles. "If I had a sword, it's be in pieces already," he smirks. He straights up. A dragon, great and tall, appears behind him. It disappears as quickly as it came, turning its self into a claymore type sword. Kurogane takes it in his hands. The big man prepares another attack. Kurogane jumps, and with one swing of the sword, he cuts up the crab. The man screams in pain and falls over. His team members surround him. Shaking, he points to Kurogane, claiming that he must be a part of Syaoran's team.

"I'm not on anybody's team!" Kurogane says, setting the sword across his shoulders. "Listen, in my life, I've only served under one person. And that's princess Tomoyo!"

And with that, the battle was over.


	12. Hanshin Republic VIII

Hanshin Republic VIII

They leave the building and part with Masayoshi, who pointed them in the direction of the apartment building. The walk along side the river. Kurogane brushes at the scratches on his arms. There are a few on his face as well.

"So annoying," he grumbles.

"Oh, Kuro-tan," coos Fai. "You were so cool back there!" He smiles widely, Mokona on his head.

He grumbles something else. Anna walks a couple steps behind them, her hands behind her back. She thinks of the snake creature. _My kudan, _she thinks. Snakes are cold-blooded animals. Even so, they only attack when threatened, if she remembers right. She chuckles to herself, amused. She's not easily amused. _A cold-blooded creature with an owner with a frozen heart, _she thinks.

"Hey, Kurogane," she calls, catching up to them. "I can heal those for you if you want." She looks up at him, smiling. She's curious what his answer will be.

He looks confused.

"You can do that, Anna-chan?" asks Fai.

She looks at him and nods. "Uh-huh."

They reach the apartment before Kurogane can give an answer. They head for to room that the girl is sleeping in. Arashi is there, sitting next to her. They enter and take seats around the room. Sorata comes in as well. Syaoran and Kurogane tell of their kudans. Anna keeps her kudan to herself.

Sorata goes on to talk of his history scholar opinion of the kudan's being some kind of god. In the Hanshin Republic, there is a myth that there are eight million gods, though he thinks there are probably many more. That there are as many gods as there are things and phenomena in the world. In conclusion, the gods of the myth are today's kudan.

Arashi changes the subject and confirms what Mokona told them. Mokona has said that it detected the waves of the feather, but doesn't know where it went. She says that if it were with someone who just walked by, they probably would've been able to track it down. However, who ever has it can appear and disappear, just like a kudan.

Sorata says it must be with a strong kudan. This is because the feather is like a piece of Sakura's heart. The kudan's strength comes from the owner's heart. The stronger the heart, the stronger the kudan becomes. Sakura's feather will be with a strong kudan.

Sorata stands. "Time for dinner!" he says. "I'll need the help of you three!" He points to Anna, Fai, and Kurogane. They, Sorata, and Arashi begin to leave. Syaoran starts to get up, saying he'll help too, but Sorata shoots him down. He says the Syaoran has been from Sakura all day and was probably worried, so he can stay with her.

The meal was beef udon noodles, fried tofu sushi, and plenty of rice, Sorata told them. Anna helped Arashi prepare the table. The men did the cooking.

After dinner, Anna heads to Kurogane and Fai's room. The room is just like her room and the one the girl is in. All the rooms are the same, she notes. That must be how apartments are. She's only ever been in hotel rooms, which are similar but not identical like these rooms.

"What brings you here, Anna-chan?" asks Fai.

She looks at Kurogane, who is sitting on a futon, legs crossed, picking at the scratches. "I wanted to know if you wanted me to heal those for you or not?" She points to his arms.

He looks away and says nothing. She smirks and takes a seat next to him, taking his arm in her hands. He flinches. "You're hands are cold," he grumbles. She freezes for a second but not lone enough to notice. She sticks her tongue out at him. She runs a finger down his arm to his wrist; she can feel him shiver under her. She frowns and sighs, "Sorry." One hand holds his hand and the other his elbow. Violet lightning dances over the scratches, leaving a warm, tingly feeling over Kurogane's arm. The scratches slowly begin to fade away.

"That's amazing, Anna-chan," says Fai, tilting his head to the side, eyes open. He stands and gets closer to them.

Letting go of Kurogane's arms, he looks it once over, all the scratches gone. Anna switches sides and takes his other arm.

"Anna-chan," says Fai. "Kuropo and I were just talking about how he meet his kudan. He met it in his dream, and so did Syaoran." Pause. "I met mine too. Have you dreamed of a strange creature?"

She nods. "I've met mine in a dream, I think," she explains, still concentrating on Kurogane's arm. She doesn't tell them that she's met it outside of a dream.

The work is done. She looks up and smiles at him. He looks at the arm the same way he looked at the other one. There are scratches on his face and shoulders. Anna smirks and slaps her hands on either side of Kurogane's face, just because she could. It was slightly amusing but not as much as she thought it would be.

"Ow! What do you think you're doing?"

Anna shrugs with a smile. "Hold still and close your eyes," she orders and he does.

Fai laughs. "Were you a doctor, Anna-chan?"

She takes Kurogane's face her hands, getting it into position. "Now, don't move," she sighs. Then she removes her hands, leaving a little space between his cheeks and her hands. "Back home, I'm a Master Healer."

Fai nods. "A Master Healer, huh?" mumbles Kurogane.

Anna's hands, not touching him, trace down to his shoulders. "Yes. In my world, you can learn three different types of magic. I learned healing." _And as a Healer, I can't harm another human being,_ she thinks. The vow made by all Healers commands so. The vow also says that she cannot learn another type of magic. She destroyed her vows.


	13. Hanshin Republic IX

Hanshin Republic IX

The child reaches her right hand out gracefully, her fingers lax. She stands on the toes of her left leg as her right stretches out and moves up. As her leg goes up, her body falls over, slowly and gracefully. Her expression is in full concentration but seems relaxed, almost at peace.

She bends her right leg at the knee and flatens her right foot. She reaches both her arms into the air, over her head. She places her right leg in of her left, forming the fifth position. The child slowly moves her arms down in front of her and lets out a deep breath. Her face is relaxed and pleased with a faint smile.

A girl enters the room, clapping her hands and smiling wide. Her hair is a bright red and long. It is curly towards the ends. "Odile!" she coos. "That was amazing!"

The dancing child smiles faintly and nods her head. The child's hair, short, red, and full of curl, bounces as she walks towards the girl.

The girl takes the child's hands in hers. "I'm so glad you didn't stop your ballet lessons!" A pause. "After what happened to mother and father, I thought for sure that you would…"

The child grips her sister's hands and shakes her head. "Mother wouldn't have wanted that." It's a half lie.

Anna opens her eyes then closes them tightly. She drapes an arm over her forehead. She curses under her breath. "A memory…" she whispers. There is a knock at the door. She sits up and calls for them to enter.

Arashi is the one to enter, a change of clothes in her arms. "These are for today," she explains. She sets them down.

Anna nods with a smile. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Arashi smiles and says breakfast will be ready soon. Anna nods and Arashi takes her leave.

Anna falls back onto the futon arms out to her sides. She stares up at the ceiling, only to have her vision blur and her eyes sting. She lets out a sob.

She had promised herself to never show weakness in front of anyone, most of all to her sister. Now her sister is gone and it's her fault. She shouldn't have showed such mercy then. She should've had executed him, and then none of this would be happening; her sister wouldn't have dead the way that she did. But then again, there is fate, or Hitsuzen. It won't have mattered. Somehow her sister would've died before her time. Somehow Rothbart would have found a way to get back at the both of them. Somehow Anna would end up here, on the journey. That's what Yuko was trying to say, she thinks. No matter what, the end result would've been the same.

Anna turns over, head in the pillow. And lets out a scream. It's okay. When alone, she can show what she truly feels. When with others, like the boy and Kurogane and Fai, she'll pretend it's all right. This is how she's been living ever since her parents were killed and she was crowned. It hasn't worked too well, she's become cold and negative, but that doesn't mean she can't try to thaw herself. Somehow, she'll find a way and return to the palace, like she had planed.

She sighs. "Either way," she says out loud, "I'll end up back at the palace, freezing over again." She pushes her face farther into the pillow. _This is Hitsuzen, _she thinks. _No matter what I do, I will always be unhappy. _


	14. Hanshin Republic X

Hanshin Republic X

The four of them, plus Mokona, begin to wonder the city. Fai makes a comment about how no one has his or her kudan out while simply walking around. Just then, a familiar child pops out of a wall. This startles Syaoran, the closest one to it. The child is Masayoshi's human like kudan. The boy runs from around a corner then. He and Syaoran share words and the Masayoshi asks if it's all right if he's their guide again today. Syaoran takes him up on his offer.

Anna pulls at the long sleeves of the shirt Arashi gave her to wear. The shirt is blue and the shorts are black. She's more comfortable in pants rather than shorts. She doesn't really understand why she's wearing a long sleeved shirt and shorts. They seem to contradict each other. But she's fine with it. The sleeves are warm around her arms. She can live with her legs being cold since she moves them more.

Fai asks, "I'm surprised you were able to find us."

"My kudan," explains the boy, "Can find anybody as long as he's met them before."

Anna bends over slightly, arm crossed, and looks at her long legs. Her skin has a light tan to it. Her legs are long, slender, and have slight muscle tone. _My ballet lessons,_ she thinks. _What a pointless memory._ She used her lessons as an excuse to be alone and to relax. When she dances, she could forget about the reality around her. She could escape it and truly pretend that nothing was wrong. When she left the palace, she didn't stop dancing. When she knew she was alone, she'd move from position to position to position.

A screech halts her thoughts. A large metal crane flies low overhead. Anna drops down, so do the others. Except, the bird catches Masayoshi with Mokona on his shoulder.

Anna curses under her breath.

A letter falls in front of Syaoran. He opens it, turns to look at them, and says something. The only part Anna understands is the names: Fai-san, Kurogane-san, and Anna-san. The rest of it is nonsense. They get closer to him and look at the letter in his hands. Anna can't read it.

Fai and Kurogane talk, but their words make no sense. Anna pulls at her ear as if it'll do something. She understands what's she's saying and a little bit of what Syaoran is saying, but none of what Fai and Kurogane are saying. Fai's language sounds a little familiar but Kurogane is speaking gibberish.

Then the thought hits her.

"MOKONA!" they all say at once. Fai smiles.

Anna looks over the paper and Syaoran looks up at her. She points at the paper and asks, "Mozhet kto-nibudʹ iz vas chital eto?" _Can either of you read this?_

They don't understand what she's saying but get the idea. Fai shakes his head. Syaoran gives a so-so hand gesture. Kurogane nods. This takes them all by surprise. Anna smirks and grabs Kurogane's elbow. She points to a random couple on the street who have a map. "Vy ponimaete, chto oni govoryat?" _Do you understand what they're saying?_

It takes him a moment but he nods, annoyed, but he knows what she's getting at.

Anna puts out a hand for the letter, asking if she can see it. Syaoran nods, a little confused, and hands the letter to her. She puts up a single finger, as if telling them to wait a moment. Walking over to the couple, Anna pulls Kurogane with her. She's had to deal with negotiating before, of course there were translators if needed, but she can manage in situations where a translator is useless regardless. She can read a person's intent well enough if she tries hard enough.

She taps the man of the couple of the shoulder and says, "Izvinite?" _Excuse me?_

They don't understand her but they smile anyway. She holds up the letter and she hears Kurogane groan. She kicks him lightly and he glares down at her but asks the couple a question. Or she thinks it's a question. She doesn't understand his words.

The woman of the couple points on the map and moves her finger to a building that looks like a tower drawn on the map. Anna watches and listens to Kurogane nodding and talking. His language is strange but engaging. She listens to the couple talk as well. _This language is interesting,_ she thinks, amused.

After some time, Kurogane bows at the couple. Anna follows his example. The couple walks off. Kurogane points in the way they need to be going. Anna waves Fai and Syaoran over. Fai gives Anna a wide smile and a thumb up. She smiles faintly but it doesn't reach her eyes. She focuses on what's in front of her as they run to the castle.

Anna doesn't know how long they had been running, turning corners, but finally a tower of some kind comes into view, like on the one drawn on the map. As they ran, they try not to speak, since they couldn't understand each other anyway. Then Syaoran says something. Anna looks at him indifferently. Fai waves him off, unable to understand and Kurogane slaps at his ear, annoyed with the whole thing.

Anna finds the whole situation to be aggravating, but she keeps the feeling to herself.

They cross a bridge to the tower. At the very top, Masayoshi and Mokona hang from ropes around their middles. Mokona seems to be swinging back and forth, enjoying its self.

Fai waves at them. "How'd you get up there?" he yells, smiling.

"You look like you're having fun!" growls Kurogane, annoyed.

"At least Mokona does," agrees Anna. "I don't think Masayoshi is enjoying himself very much." The boy looks scared and in a panic.

The four of them look at each other, confused.

"Seems like we can understand each other now," says Anna, slightly confused but pleased.

Fai points at all of them. "Ah! I get it now," he coos. "At least what you guys are saying."

"So it is Mokona that's doing it!" Syaoran explains.

"Oh, I get it! Mokona must act like some kind of translator for us. Seeing as we all come from different worlds, naturally, we'd speak different languages." Fai looks satisfied with his conclusion.

They begin to run again, towards the tower like castle. Kurogane groans. "Hey! Does this mean that any time we get separated from the rice ball, we won't be able to communicate?"

"That's what it means!" answers Fai.

"Aww! What a pain!"

"But we have Anna-chan! It's like she can do everything!"

Anna chuckles to herself as she runs alongside them. The chuckle was still an act but she feels entertained with what's going on. She's amused with the people she's traveling with, so far anyway.


	15. Hanshin Republic XI

Hanshin Republic XI

The tower looks like Yuko's shop, Anna notices. The style of it anyway. The tiles of the slanted roofs are red and curled up at the corners. The building almost seemed like a square tower with triangular pop outs.

At the end of the road they ran, there is a drop off. Below them is a crowd of men, hundreds of them, all dressed with black glasses and wraps on their heads. Syaoran holds the note up and asks who wrote it.

A girl calls from the top of the tower, saying that it was she. The men scream her name; Primera. She was a few years younger than Anna. Her hair is long and a blue green color.

Kurogane asks, "Who is this woman?"

The men are enraged at his ignorance. They say that she is an idol. She sings, dances, models, and has a morning talk show. They say that she has an incredible kudan. That she is the best.

Syaoran yells for her to let Mokona and Masayoshi down. She looks confused. She thought that Masayoshi was Syaoran. "I'm Syaoran!" he yells.

This upsets the young lady. She yells at the men around her, mad that they got the wrong boy.

"If you have any business with me, then fine!" yells Syaoran. "Please, let those two down!"

"Nope!" She smiles, jumping down onto a lower rooftop from where she was.

Anna wraps her arms around herself. She sighs. _There's going to be another useless battle, _she thinks. She thinks that she should step in but she doesn't have offensive fighting skills. Her defensive magic is weak too. All she can do is form shields and walls. Then there's her kudan, something she has no idea how to use. She's useless when it comes to battles.

The young lady winks and says that if Syaoran wants them back, he's going to have to fight her for them.

Anna puts her hands to her mouth and breaths on them. "We need to find a way up," she says.

Fai points to himself. "I think that I can get up there," he suggests.

"Yeah?" says Kurogane. "How?"

Fai grins. "My kudan may be willing to help." Visible wind swirls around him. A giant bird appears behind him. Anna takes a step back, holding her hair from being blown in her face. She watches the bird wrap its wings around him and fade away. Fai slowly lifts off the ground and flies up to the young woman.

Kurogane says, "These kudan come in every type, huh?"

Anna agrees.

The young girl calls her kudan. She holds some kind of device in her hands, ready to speak into it. She sings into it, "Is everyone having fun?" Words fly from the device towards Fai.

There is a boom and Syaoran screams his name. "Look up there," Kurogane says calmly. Fai flies from the smoke, smile in his face.

Mokona continues to swing and sing, "Amazing! Amazing!"

Masayoshi screams for Fai to be careful. And that the young lady has a special level kudan.

The young lady gets upset that she didn't hit him. She screams into the device again. Words fly towards Fai and every time he avoids him with grace and indifferences. Anna watches him closely.

"Why can't I hit you?" the girl screams, not into the device.

"Well, if you hit me," Fai explains, "It might hurt."

Syaoran looks around quickly. "We have to find a way up there and get those two down! We also have to help Fai-san!"

"Hmph," goes Kurogane. "You can leave him alone. He'll fine." Pause. He explains that even if your kudan is able to fly, your muscles are your body's normal muscles. He knows this because he has fought with kudan before, he says.

Syaoran is surprised. "So, you mean that the ability to float and dodge like he is a little as paper is Fai-san's own ability?"

Kurogane becomes serious, almost angry. "Look at that damn grin! That man is a combat veteran."

Syaoran nods. He agrees.

Kurogane crosses his arms. "That doesn't surprise you?"

He says that there is a clue to this is the casual way Fai carries himself, as well as the look in his eyes. Kurogane, under his breath, says that the boy may not be a complete fool. Then the boy says that he would still like to help Fai if he can. Kurogane smirks. "You're still a naïve kid!"

Anna yawns with her hand over her mouth. Kurogane looks at her. "What's your problem?"

She looks at him and wraps her arms around herself. She tilts her head, and looks up at him. "Just tired, I guess." She smiles. "I never thought someone like you would worry about a girl."

He glares at her and she chuckles. She looks back to the battle in front of them.

"CHANGE!" the girl screams. The men chant her name. The device turns into something she calls a mike stand. Her attacks seem large now. She screams into it and this time, the words hit Fai. They throw him in a tree. Syaoran screams his name.

"I'm all right!" he calls from the tree. He stands. He never expected the kudan to change forms. He points out that since Mokona is not reacting, then the girl doesn't have the feather. He asks her what would happen if her were to surrender.

"Then I move on to fight that 'Syaoran' guy!"

"We can't have that now. Syaoran-kun has some important business that he needs to see through. I'd really rather that it ends with me." He chuckles.

"Ooh! So manly!" Anna says sarcastically. Kurogane shoots a look her way. She looks away, indifferent.

The young lady smiles widely and screams, " IF SO THEN I WILL JUST HAVE TO WIN!" The words come out of the mike stand large and fast. Fai jumps onto top of the words and runs on them, towards the young girl. He is fast and puts his arms around the girl, pulling her the ground.

He smiles almost like he's trying to seduce the girl. "I don't want to cause injury to a beautiful young woman like yourself. Won't you please stop this?"

"THIS IS SO NOT FAR!" she screams into the mike stand by accident. The words hit just under where Mokona and Masayoshi hang. They go flying and begin to fall.

Anna takes a few steps forward and grits her teeth. She can't do anything.


	16. Hanshin Republic XII

Hanshin Republic XII

Masayoshi's human like kudan wraps its arms around him. A large stingray swoops in and catches both of them and Mokona. After a moment, Anna gives out a sigh of relief.

Shogo and his gang step out on the other side of the drop off the houses the men in dark glasses. He says, upset, "You do you think you're doing, Primera?'

She sits up and Fai jumps away. "Shogo-kun!" she coos.

"Don't you have a concert to prepare for?" He frowns and folds his arms across his chest.

"I did it because you never come to see me!"

Anna's eyebrow twitches. _This is so irritating, _she thinks.

She yells that there's plenty of time. That this concert is near by. He complains about her destroying their cultural heritage. She scream back that he shouldn't be getting all high and mightysince he breaks building all the time.

Fai floats down next to Anna. She smiles at him. "Nice job, Fai," she says.

"Yay!" he sings. "Anna-chan is proud of me!" he wraps his arms around her shoulders. He leans away but keeps his arms around her, shock on his face. "Anna-chan, you're freezing. Are you okay?"

Her eyes sadden but she smiles. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm always cold so don't worry about it." She pushes him away gently. He nods, letting go, and smiles.

Kurogane groans. "What are those two squabbling about?"

The men begin to sob. Fai walks over to the drop off and leans over it, hands on his knees. "What are you crying over, if I may ask?"

They all speak at once. "Primera-chan's in love with that team leader, there!" They point to Shogo. "But since he never comes to see her, she's so lonely!"

Fai nods. "And how do you know that?"

On of them closest to Fai holds up a colorful book with the young lady on the cover. "Because Primera-chan made it official!" The man throws the book and Kurogane catches it. "See for yourself!"

Kurogane opens it to a random page.Anna looks over at the page. The words look like pretty scribbles. "You can read that?" she asks, staring at the page.

He nods, engrossed with whatever he's reading.

The fighting couple continues to scream at each other. Tears form in the young lady's eyes. Shogo says he has school and works at the family liquor shop. This is why he can't see her as much as she wants. The girl just yells that she's lonely. And that that she asked Masayoshi, who she thought was Syaoran, to join her fan club so while Shogo visited him then he'd get to see her too.

"I thought she kidnapped him," states Anna, indifferent. Kurogane and Fai nod in agreement.

Mokona calls out to Syaoran, its eyes are open. Mokona says that the feather is close by but doesn't know who has it. A kudan has it inside its self, the four of them agree.

Kurogane explains that the kudan get stronger and weaker, based on the waves Mokona feels. "Why isn't it one fixed strength, then?" Anna asks.

Syaoran answers, "Sorata-san said that kudan protect their owner. So probably, when it's protecting its owner is when it's the strongest."

"That means the way to find the feather is through battle!" smiles Fai.

"Yay!" Anna says sarcastically, putting her hands in the air. "More manly fighting!"

"What's your problem?" growls Kurogane.

She drops her arms. She sighs and looks at Syaoran. "I'm here to help you. But when it comes to fighting, I can't really. I'm more of a defensive fighter if anything."

Syaoran smiles. "That's all right."

She smiles back. "When you think I can be useful, please ask. I'll try and do what I can." She points to Shogo. "I can heal any of your wounds once you're done with him."

Kurogane looks down at her. "Well, aren't you just full of confidence."

She looks up at him. "I'm being realistic." She grins. "Syaoran will probably some out as the victor, but that doesn't mean he won't get hurt in the process."

Shogo cuts in then, addressing Syaoran. He apologizes for his words causing so much trouble for him. But he meant what he said, that he likes Syaoran's style. "You're strong. And by that, I don't mean you got muscles. I mean right here," he says, using his thumb to point to his heart. "So I want to take you on, with our kudan, of course."

The young lady yells at, calling him an idiot for caring so much about his kudan battles.

Syaoran steps forward, his fire wolf forming at his side. He accepts Shogo's challenge.

The two of them stand on either side of the drop off. The men in the courtyard run to get out of the way. Shogo grins, and yells, "READY! GO!" His stingray blasts water at the wolf. The wolf blasts fire at the water. Water puts out fire, however, when hot enough, fire evaporates water.

The water floats the land below the drop off. A boulder rushes up the side and heads of Syaoran. He kicks it and breaks in to two. Anna is impressed. Before, back at the palace when she was younger, she'd watch the knights train in the west courtyard. Battles and fighting irritate her as well as entertain her, depending the on the circumstances around the fight. They probably irritate her because she can't be a part of them. She can do her best to prevent them and avoid them, but she cannot participate in them. It was the only matter of state that she didn't have complete control over. But that didn't stop her from having her opinion on such matters heard.

Syaoran jumps down into the courtyard.

She moves closer to the edge of the drop off, next to Kurogane. She overhears him talking to Fai, but she pretends to be focusing on Syaoran. Fai compliments Syaoran, calling him cool. Kurogane doesn't really agree but says that the boy is more than just a pliable fool. Anna notices, from the corner of her eye, Kurogane looking at Fai. He says, "You both have faces that say, 'ignore me, I'm a fool.' But I see through it."

Fai smiles and nods. "Yeah. It seems like he's more than a guy with an archaeology hobby. He's still very young, but young people can come through their pain. And I believe he has."

Anna wraps her arms around herself. _He can see through Syaoran and Fai, _she thinks. She didn't notice anything; then again, she wasn't looking for anything. _I wonder if he can see through me, as well. _A chill runs up her spine, not because she's cold, but because of the thought. If he can, if he does, she doesn't know what she'll do. Her uncle saw through her but he walked in on her when she had a moment of weakness. She can't let her guard down around these people. She's here to help the boy in any way she can. She's already pretty useless; she doesn't want to trouble them with her baggage too.


	17. Hanshin Republic XIII

Hanshin Republic XIII

Syaoran reaches his fist out in front of him and braces himself. Flames trace over his arm and explode from his hand. The fire runs to Shogo, he gets hit and thrown back. He is caught in the underbelly of his stingray. He emerges from it dripping wet. The young girl screams his name in concern. Shogo waves to her, saying that he's all right and that she should stop screaming, since she has a concert to perform soon.

Shogo asks what makes Syaoran's heart so strong. The boy simply answers that he has something that he must see through. Shogo smirks and screams for everyone to get out of the way. Over his head, his kudan opens its mouth wide and lets out a blast of water, so much stronger then the other blasts. The water floats the courtyard so fast and with so much power, that when it crashes in the courtyear, it makes them stumble. Anna falls back on her bum.

She doesn't bother standing. She crawls to the edge of the drop off and looks around. She can't see the boy. Where Syaoran was last standing, the water bubbles and steams. The boy emerges in a ball of fire. Anna leans back and sighs with relief. And she smiles. This time not pretending, but she doesn't notice.

The fire kudan evaporates all the water in the courtyard. Then there is a crackle and boom. To very top of the tower, just over where the Mokona, Masayoshi, and Primera are, comes crashing down. Anna gets up, shock on her face. She can't even scream for them to get out of the way, not that they can.

Smoke covers the tower for a moment. There's a giant kudan, larger then the tower its self, steps out. It's Masayoshi's human like kudan, just much bigger. It puts its hand over the falling tower, stopping it.

Mokona screams that the feather is in the kudan. Anna stands and joins Kurogane and Fai, gazing up at the kudan. Kurogane is in disbelief. Fai explains that it makes sense. A kudan needs the most power to protect its owner. The last time Mokona detected the feather was when Masayoshi was in a dangerous situation. And now, it's trying to protect him from the crumbling building.

The kudan picks up Masayoshi and lets out a blast of light. The blast hits the tower, sending the young lady and Mokona flying. Shogo, who is on his kudan, catches them in midair.

Masayoshi's kudan continues to blast away, hitting anything. Masayoshi tells it to stop, that he's fine now, but the kudan won't listen. The feather is too much power for it. Masayoshi can no longer control it.

Syaoran walks over to the drop off. Kurogane and Fai jump down. Anna kneels over the side, preferring not to jump down. Kurogane asks him what he will do now. The boy and his fire wolf step forward. "I'm going to get Sakura's feather back," he says, no hesitation or concern for himself over the matter.

"How will you fight something that big?" questions Kurogane. "One slip up and you're dead!"

"I won't die. I still have something to see through. I can't yet yet." He looks up at Anna, she smiles and nods her head to him, wishing him luck. He smiles and nods back.

Fai sighs, smiles, and waves his hand for Syaoran not to worry. "You go head. Count on Kuro-pi to handle things here!"

Kurogane screams at him about the nick name and, "WHAT DO YOU MEAN ME?"

Syaoran walks away. He turns around and gives a smile. He says that he'll see them later. Anna waves him off. And then he is gone, running along side is kudan. Anna's fingers fall before she drops her arm. _That boy has strength in so many ways,_ she thinks. _If only I was that strong. Then maybe all this could have worked out differently somehow. That boy will beat his fate if not change it. I couldn't possibly do something like that. _

Kurogane looks up at her, annoyed. "What are you still doing up there?" he says.

She sets her hands on her knees and looks down at him. "It's such a long way down," she pouts sarcastically.

He groans and steps closer to the drop off. "What a pain," he growls. He puts his arms out.

She looks down at him, puzzled. "You're kidding?"

"Oh!" sings Fai. "Kurorin is being nice!"

"Oh, shut up!" he yells at Fai. "Just jump already."

"But I don't want to." He glares up at her. Anna sticks her tongue out at him and he drops his arms with a twitch of his eyebrow.

"You're a pain in the ass," he curses, putting his hands on his hips.

"Ooh!" she sings mockingly. "Don't be mean to me, Mr. Kuropo!"

"I'm back!" sings Mokona, coming from behind.

Anna turns. "Shogo, Primera, and Mokona are coming this way," she says out loud. Mokona jumps onto her head and into her lap. Shogo and Primera walk over to the edge. Anna reaches an arm down and smirks. "Need some help getting back up here?"

Kurogane's eyebrow twitches and he jumps a little, grabbing the edge of the drop off. He pulls himself up and Anna falls back as he pulls himself up in front of her. She crawls out of his way and stands. Fai uses his kudan to fly back up.

Anna holds Mokona in her arms, the creature keeping her middle warm. She watches as the human like kudan begins to fade to its original size. The stingray flies over and water falls from it like rain. She looks up at the sky, the water surprisingly warm in her face.


	18. Hanshin Republic XIV

Hanshin Republic XIV

Syaoran runs back to the apartment building. Anna and the others trail behind. He runs past Sorata and Arashi, saying that he Sakura's feather. The boy couldn't possibly be any happier. The memory of the meeting with Yuko sinks into Anna, stronger then before. She wanted to call Syaoran, to remind him of his price and that needs to be prepared if the girl wakes up. She couldn't bring herself to do it.

Kurogane notices the look of distress on her face. He doesn't say anything. Mokona, still in her arms looks up at her. "What's the matter, Anna-chan?" The creature seems sad. Anna smiles down at it and shakes her head. She says that nothing is wrong and soon regrets it. From the corner of her eye, she sees Kurogane looking down at her. With a deep breath out, she looks up. _It's going to rain, _she thinks.

The couple greets them. "He ran up to Sakura-chan's room," explains Sorata.

After removing their shoes, they head to the room. Kurogane leans against the door frame and Fai stands on the other side. Anna leans against the wall by Fai. Mokona is now on Fai's shoulder.

The feather falls into the girl's chest. The boy is holding her hand tightly. He kneels on the ground next to the girl, covered in burns, scratches, and bruises. His clothes are a mess.

The girl awakes and looks greatly confused. She asks one question, looking at the boy. "Who are you?" she says.

The boy sets down her hand and bites his lip, choking back whatever he is feeling. It takes a moment but he smiles, eyes closed. He says his name is Syaoran and that the girl is her Highness, Princess Sakura. He goes on to explain that she has lost her memory. That they're traveling worlds in order to restore her memory. He tells her that she has traveling companions.

She asks if the boy is one of those. He says yes. She says, "You're doing this for a total stranger?"

The boy smiles and nods. "I am," he says.

Fai enters the room and gives a light bow. He gives his name and touches Syaoran's shoulder. The boy gets up and leaves the room. Fai kneels down next to the princess. Kurogane and Anna enter the room. He holds up Mokona and introduces it. "And may I present—" Fai says, gesturing to Kurogane.

"I'm Kurogane," he says, arms crossed, the colorful book with Primera on it in his hand.

Anna kneels down next to Fai and smiles at the girl. "I'm Anna," she says.

A little while later, Fai and Kurogane step out of the room. Anna is readying to stand, but the girl grabs the hem of her shirt. Anna is taken aback but smiles. "Yes, Princess?" she says.

"Ah," the girl releases her shirt. The girl is so confused.

"They went to talk over manly things," she explains, teasing. The girl smiles faintly. Anna crosses her legs. "I can stay if you'd like?" Mokona, on the girl's lap, jumps up and down, excited about the idea. The girl pokes the creature and it laughs. She smiles.

The princess holds her right hand in her left. "While I was sleeping, I wonder if someone was holding my hand…" she says. "My hand felt just so nice and warm." The princess smiles to herself.

Anna bites her tongue and just smiles at the girl. The girl reminds her of someone, a childhood friend maybe. The memories from before the crowning can be so blurry. The princess's eyes are a forest green. Her light brown hair, almost golden in color, is short and reaches to her chin. Two locks on either side of her face reach past her shoulders. Two, shorter locks curve up on the top of her head. Without thinking, Anna runs a finger over one. The girl looks at her, confused. Anna smiles and drops her hand. "You're a very pretty girl, Princess Sakura," she says.

The girl smiles and says, "Thank you."

"You remind me of an old friend," she confesses.

The girl is surprised. "I do?"

"Yes. But that's a story for another time. I know you have been sleeping a lot lately, but it's late. And you're probably tired anyway." The girl nods. Anna leans over her, taking the blanket in her hands. Mokona jumps onto her head and the girl leans back. She pulls the blanket over the girl. "Goodnight, Princess Sakura." It doesn't take long for her to fall asleep.

Syaoran, soaking wet, returns to the room. "Kurogane-san and Fai-san went to their room," he explains.

"Oh," she smiles weakly and looks the boy once over. "I can heal you if you want?" The boy looks himself once over and lets out a weak chuckle. Anna stands and walks over to him. She's a head taller then the boy. She brushes her left hand against the boy's cheek. He's cold to the touch from being out in the rain. She shows him the bracelet. "Until this breaks, Syaoran, I'm at your service. Please don't hesitate to ask me for anything." She gestures to the princess. "She's sound asleep." There is a moment of quiet then she turns back to the boy. "So, what about it?" She smiles. "Want me to heal you or not?"


	19. Hanshin Republic XV

Hanshin Republic XV

The next day, the four travel companions to the princess meet with Masayoshi. The princess is back at the apartment, sleeping. They sit at the same booth at the same restaurant as before. Anna sits between Fai and Kurogane. Syaoran and Masayoshi chat and Mokona and Kurogane fight over a patty.

Fai nudges Anna with his elbow. He smiles at her. "I see you healed Syaoran's wounds."

She nods, food in her mouth. She swallows. "If you ever get hurt, I'll heal you too," she says.

He opens his eyes and gives a giggle. "Let's hope that doesn't happen."

Anna only nods, understanding.

"Yo!" goes a familiar voice.

"Shogo-san!" exclaims Masayoshi. Shogo takes a seat next to Masayoshi and Syaoran. Shogo's gang fills the restaurant. They all order from the waiters form before, the two the boy called Your Majesty and High Priest.

When Kurogane isn't looking, Mokona steals the food that was on his eat utensils. Mokona leans back against Anna's arm. She's wearing long sleeves again today, and finally, a pair of long pants. Anna pokes it. Mokona looks up at her and smiles wide. "That was yummy!" it sings.

"It tastes better when it's someone else's, doesn't it?" The creature nods and sighs, happy, and leans down her arm.

Kurogane notices that his food it gone and glares at Mokona. Kurogane reaches for Mokona, but Anna swipes it up before he can grab it. He glares at her and she gives him a look of indifference, sticking her tongue out. "Yay!" sings Mokona. "Anna-chan is protecting Mokona! I feel so loved!"

"You little—" growls Kurogane. "You stole my food, again!"

Anna looks down at Mokona. "You probably shouldn't do that again," she tells it. "Kurogane is so mean. I don't know if I'll be able to protect you from his meanness next time."

Mokona giggles and Kurogane glares at Anna. She only smiles, though it doesn't reach her eyes. She teases but it doesn't amuse her. She sighs and leans back in the both, holds Mokona in her arms. She begins to wonder how much time has pasted back home. They've only been in one world so far. Does the time she owes Yuko go by the time in Yuko's world, or Anna's world? Or is it based on how many worlds they travel to? The thought irritates her to no end.

They leave the restaurant, Mokona safely on Syaoran's head. They say their goodbyes. Syaoran says that if they make it back to the Hanshin Republic, that they'll look them up. Masayoshi yells for them to take care.

Kurogane continues to glare at Mokona, until he passes a storefront. He stops and stares down at another colorful book with a different young lady on it. He buys it. This makes Anna chuckle. "So you can read it," she states. Kurogane only nods, staring at the pages.

Back in the courtyard of the apartment building. Anna fiddles with the hem of her sweater. The fabric of it is warm and soft on her. She's glad to be back in her own clothes. Sorata is upset that they have to leave already. Syaoran returns the green frog wallet. The princess stands between Anna and Fai back in her strange clothes and Syaoran's cloak. Mokona is on her shoulder. She rubs her eye. Fai asks if she is all right. The princess says she's just tired.

Mokona jumps up and wings appear at it's back. With a magic circle at its feet, Mokona opens its mouth wide and swallows the five of them whole.


	20. Koryo I

Koryo I

They crash into a market place. Fruits and veggies fall out of their wooden crates and they crawl out of the mess. Anna stands and stumbles on a potato. She falls back onto Kurogane. The back of her head whacks him in the face. He groans and holds his face as Anna leans forward, holding the back of her head.

She looks around. They're in another strange world. Somehow, she feels relieved that it's not her world. She's not sure what she would do if they landed in her country. She hasn't heard anything that might be the feather there, but she can't risk it. What if they land in wherever Rothbart is hiding? As much as she wants to believe that the man is dead, deep down, she knows he's not.

Kurogane groans, still holding his face. He looks at Anna, glaring, and Anna looks at him, smiling sheepishly. She apologizes and carefully moves out of his lap. He lets go of his face and looks around. Men dressed the same and armed with weapons surround them. A big young man with short legs and long arms moves forward, yelling at them. He grabs the princess's arm, pulling her and demanding where she came from.

With no hesitation or second thought, Syaoran kicks the young man in the face, sending his hat flying. Kurogane smirks, impressed. Fai and Mokona giggle. Anna slaps her hand over her mouth, stifling a laugh and covering her smile. She's greatly amused.

The young men flies back and his men step forward. Before they can do anything, there's a voice yelling at them from a far. Anna looks up and finds a young girl standing on the rooftop of the shop behind them.

She screams, arms crossed, "IF YOU DON'T WANNA BE KICKED IN THE FACE, THEN DON'T GO ATTACKING PEOPLE AT RANDOM, YOU STUPID LITTLE CHILD!"

The young men screams back that he's not stupid, that he is the only son of the Ryanban, the master of the country of Koryo including the town of Ryonfi. The girl insults this Ryanban, calling him a wandering Shinban magician. The young man threatens her and walks away with his men.

Anna stands up then, hand on her back. She looks around at the mess they made. She starts to pick up the produces they destroyed. Syaoran bows to the shop owner, apologizing, and begins to clean up as well.

"Mokona will help too!" the white creature sings.

Fai picks up a couple fruits and calls Kurogane to help too. "Aw! What a pain!" he groans, but helps anyway.

Once done, Anna stands and dusks off her pants. The girl from the rooftop, now on the ground, looks at them. "Those are weird clothes!" she says.

Fai bursts out in laughter and points at Kurogane. "She called you weird!" she laughs. "Must've been talking about your clothes, Kuro-rin!"

"Kurogane is weird!" smiles Mokona.

"IF I'M WEIRD THEN SO ARE YOU!" he yells.

The girl exclaims something and grabs the princess's hand and runs off. Syaoran calls from them to wait and runs after them. Anna and the others follow.


	21. Koryo II

Koryo II

Anna takes a seat in the back of the room with Fai and Kurogane. The girl led them to her house. It's fairly large for one small girl to be living in. Anna's cabin is half the size of this place. The whole house is one room though, like Anna's cabin.

The girl is talking with Syaoran and the princess. The princess seems very tired, Anna notices. She keeps rubbing her eyes. With a sigh, Anna leans back against the wall. She's not listening to the conversation. She can't pronounce the names and titles the girl is saying. Kurogane isn't listening either. He's reading the colorful book from the Hanshin Republic.

She touches the bangle on her left arm. _One world done with, _she thinks. She wonders how much time has passed at home. She takes her hair down, out of the ponytail and runs her fingers through it. She lets it fall to her shoulders. She brushes her bangs out of her face. She puts her hands up where her hair stops, just to her shoulders.

Mokona jumps in front on Anna, casting her thoughts away. Mokona spins around, happy and singing. She pulls her hair back into the ponytail. Fai is introducing them. He gestures to Kurogane, calling him Kuro-puu. This pisses Kurogane off and he corrects Fai. Fai introduces Anna as Anna-chan. She's glad Fai doesn't have a strange nickname for her.

The house begins to shake and rattle. Wind outside begins to howl. Fai and Kurogane stand, so Anna does too. Kurogane says that he'll go check it out but the girl screams that he can't. The front doors fly open and the wind threatens to pull them out. Anna tries to hold her ground. A portion of the roof is torn away and Anna uses her arms to shield her face.

The wind is gone as soon as it came.

Fai explains that that was no natural wind just now. Anna nods and picks debris from her hair.

"It's the Ryanban!" mumbles the girl. "HE'S THE ONE WHO DID IT ALL!" she screams.

Anna looks up at the hole in the roof. _The Ryanban, _she thinks. _A man with enough power to do this, maybe he has the princess's feather. If Rothbart—_Anna doesn't finish the thought.


	22. Koryo III

Koryo III

Anna walks beside Syaoran, Mokona on his head. The princess and the girl walk ahead of them, hand in hand. They both seem to be enjoying themselves. The princess still seems to but a bit absent-minded but she's smiling.

Syaoran asks Mokona if it can feel the feather anywhere. It says it can't tell, that through this whole country, there is a weird power that it can feel. This puzzles Anna and the boy.

The girl is called over by an older man. The man yells and waves them over, "Ho, Chu'nyan! You're dragging an outsider around town, huh?"

The four of them walk over to the crowd the man is sitting in. The man is sitting on the ground on a matt with a bowl in front of him. In the bowl is a pair of dice. Chu'nyan explains to the man that the princess, Syaoran, and Anna, as well as Mokona, are guests of hers that came from a long way away.

"Oho!" exclaims the man. "Travelers! Will you join us?"

The boy bends over to get a better look. He asks what it is. The man calls it negi, a game. You throw the two cubes, as he called them, and if they add up to have more dots than your opponent, you win. The man hands the dice to the princess.

Chu'nyan crosses her arms and gives a I-know-what-I'm-talking-about look. She says that the older men just love this game. "Who is the person who threw the highest number?" A different older man says that he did, that he threw an 11. The girl then complains that the only way to win is to role two sixes and that the princess has never done this before. "What kind of game are you playing?"

The princess roles a 12. This shocks everyone. Anna chuckles. Mokona jumps from the boy's head, praising Sakura. The older man gives the dice back to the princess, telling her to role again. His voice is shaky. Doom fills the crowd as the princess rules another 12.

"You're a very lucky young lady, Princess," praises Anna. The girl look up at her, rubbing the sleep from her eyes, and smiles.

The game goes on for another twenty something rules. Each and every time, the princess threw a 12. No one could believe their eyes but kept true to her winnings. Sakura won three baskets of fruits, veggies, and pastries. She even won clothes for herself, Syaoran, Anna, and the other two back at the house.

One of the older men pointed to a shop behind him, saying that they can change in there. Chu'nyan pushed the three of them into the back of the shop. She threw Sakura and Anna in one room, and Syaoran in another with the clothes the princess won.

"You guys need to change!" she cooed, enjoying herself. "Then you won't stand out so much!"

Anna looked at the princess, the clothes in her arms. "Is that all right, Princess?" she asks. "You were the one that won all this."

The princess nods, smiling. Anna smiles back and looks over the two sets of clothing. She frowns, irritated, and peeks her head through the door. "Um, excuse me?"

The girl looks confused. "What is it?"

Anna smiles meekly. "I'm not sure how to put any of this on."

The girl laughs and enters the room. _I wonder if Syaoran is having better luck with this, _she thinks. Chu'nyan tells Anna to remove her clothes as she helps the princess. Anna follows her instructions. Facing Chu'nyan again, she finds the girl staring at her chest. Anna looks down, following the girl's eyes; she's looking at the tattoo. Or her breasts. She's not sure.

"Sorry!" the girl says, startled, "Here! Put this on first!" Chu'nyan hands Anna a pair of pants. Then she returns to helping Sakura dress.

Anna's fingers trace over the swan as she pulls on a shirt Chu'nyan gave her. His words echo through her head. _"A black swan? Ha! How ironic!" _She curses under her breath at the memory.

After a little while, the two ladies are dressed. Anna wears pants with a long sleeved shirt tucked into them. Over this is a skirt that hangs to just below her knees and a shirt with short sleeves. The long sleeves reach to her thumb. The collar of the short-sleeved shirt reaches just above the head of the swan. She likes the clothing. It's different and comfortable and warm. There is detailing along the hems and the whole thing is three different shades of purple.

When the three leave the room, they find the boy standing by the baskets. The boy smiles at the sight of the princess. The princess's dress is like Anna's but different shades of pink. Around the shirt are panels that look like cherry blossom petals. The dress suits the princess wonderfully.

Anna walks over to the basket where Mokona sits, munching of a bun pastry. It looks up at her and smiles wide, saying the bun is very yummy and that she should try some too. Anna obliges and takes a small bite from Mokona's bun. The warm bread is filled with some kind of fruit paste. It's very sweet. As a child, she loved sweet things. That hasn't changed.

Standing, Anna takes a better look at the town. It seems full and happy and at peace, for the most part. There is a canal, like back in the Hanshin Republic, to her left. They stand near a bridge crossing over it. The princess and the girl sit, legs off the edge of the canal, nibbling on sweet buns. The girl talks of the princess being "God's Beloved Child" and Syaoran listens from behind them. Anna pays no mind and looks up at the sky. It's so blue. It's almost like everything, every world, is somehow under the same sky.

Anna's eyes wander to the castle in the middle of the town. It stands wide and tall, surround by brick walls. Waterfalls pour out from the side. Anna thinks of her kingdom, the one that she abandoned. She hasn't been back in over two years. The news that she has heard is that everything is all right, not great, but there are at peace. The only unsettlement among the people is the whereabouts of Crown Princess Odile. She recalls a conversation between several of her co-pickers at the farm. They talked of how King Nicolai's hope of his niece's survival has kept the people believing that she's alive and well somewhere. That some day, when she is needed the most, she'll return. Many believe this and hold no resent towards her. Others do. The pickers tried to get Anna involved in the discussion but she couldn't speak. She just smiled, nodded, and returned to her work.

Anna looks down at the ring on her left hand. She brings it to her lips and kisses it. The image of a beautiful red haired woman passes her mind. The woman is dressed in white and smiling widely.

"DON'T! PLEASE!" someone cries. Anna's train of thought crashes and she turns towards the scream. The four of them run towards the confrontation. Mokona on Anna's shoulder.

"Your store hasn't paid the tax, has it?" a familiar voice yells. It's the young funny looking man from before. He screams at a young woman and her elderly father, who kneel on the ground surrounded by their destroyed merchandise. The woman tries to explain that her father is old and sick and needs his medicine, that's why she doesn't have the tax money at the moment. "No more waiting! You will pay all the tax you owe in full NOW!"

"We can't!" the woman pleads. "You're charging 20 times more than the old Ryanban! There's no way we can pay it!"

The funny looking young man takes out a whip, saying that the old man will pay with 100 lashes. The woman shields her father. Chu'nyan screams for him to stop. The princess runs to cover the young woman and her father. The whip flies towards them. Anna jumps between the princess and the whip, facing the man. The whip doesn't hit them. Syaoran stops it, wrapping it around his arm and kicking the man in the forehead. Chu'nyan runs for to the princess. Anna stands, staying between the conflict and the princess. This is the least she can do. But something about all this is very unsettling. Things like this—cruelties like this were never accepted in her kingdom.

"Do you really want to know just how terrifying the Ryanban of Ryonfi can be!" threatens the man.

"As far as I can tell, you are not this Ryanban," hisses Anna. "But his pathetic son."

Syaoran stands between Anna and the man. He looks at Anna from the corner of his eye, shocked.

"What was that, woman!" the man curses at Anna, pissed off and taken aback.

"From the short time I've been here, I've been able to gather that you and your father have used power and fear to control the people here. At least your father has. You seem to just march through the town doing his biding and using his name to scare these poor people into submission. He has the power and you have none. You've made this very clear the two times I've seen you." Anna's words are calm, collected and thought through. Her voice is even and filled with venom. Her gaze is filled with anger and pity and belittles the child of a young man in front of her. "You are nothing more than a filthy child hiding behind your father's power."


	23. Koryo IV

Koryo IV

The man grits his teeth and shakes with anger. Surprisingly, he holds eye contact with Anna. Anna's glare continues to deepen and the man shakes of anger turn to fear. He doesn't like this and lets out a scream, removing a large fan from his back. This causes Chu'nyan to react and move forward, towards it. Putting her arm out, Anna stops her. "Stay behind me," she orders. The girl opens her mouth to protest but says nothing. Looking up at Anna's eyes, the look in them keeps the girl quiet. Mokona recoils on Anna's shoulder, hiding behind her neck.

Then man opens the fan and an armored ghost figure flies from it. Syaoran is the one to attack it, using his legs. He casts a look at Anna and she nods. She stretches her arm out in front of her, recalling the conversation she has with the boy back in the Hanshin Republic, when she was healing him. She told him that healing is what she's best at, what she trained at the must, but that she can make shields and protective walls as well. They're not particularly her forte; she needs as much concentration as possible in order to keep their form. She can only make one shield at a time and it can only go as far as her arm extends.

With her palm out, fingers tensed, violet light explodes in front of her. The light takes a form similar to glass but oh so much stronger. The shield protects the princess, Chu'nyan, and the young woman with her father.

This takes Chu'nyan and the princess aback but soon their attention is drawn to the fight in front of them. The princess moves and stands next to Anna, hands to her chest.

"That was my omoni's fan!" explains Chu'nyan. Anna listens but says nothing. "As a shinban, my mother could use the secret arts!" Pause. "People would ask her to make medicines or cast spells. She had wonderful powers. But she would never have used that power for bad things!" Tears well in the girl's eyes. "She had pride in her job as a shinban! But that creep and his father!" She takes a deep breath and screams that the man and his father were just wandering shinban that came to the town a year ago. They chased the old Ryanban away and set themselves up Ryanban in his place. "My omoni fought them… trying to stop them. AND THE RYANBAN MURDERED HER!"

Anna's shield shook a little but she regained control with ease. The man swipes the fan again, several more ghosts come out of it. They surround the boy. The princess gasps and Chu'nyan screams for him to watch out.

Syaoran jumps out from the middle. He kicks one, sending it flying into the others. With a few more well-placed kicks, the ghosts fade away. The girl praises Syaoran and the man scuffs, telling him to not let that go to his head.

A wind, like the one from before, swirls around them. Anna drops the shield and braces herself, grabbing Mokona from her shoulder. A twister forms in front of them. Anna stands her ground and the princess is pulled towards the twister. Quickly, Anna grabs the girl and wraps her arm around her waist. Sakura shields her face with her hands.

The twister runs at Syaoran, crashing into him and throwing him back. The princess screams his name. The boy lands in front of them, blood running down his face.

The man laughs and mocks them. "You get it now? This is the power of the Ryanban!"

Anna bites her tongue. Chu'nyan yells what Anna is thinking. "You have to call your daddy when you're losing a battle? You are the worst excuse for a family I've seen!"

"Shut up!" A breath. "If you don't like it then go ahead and try to beat my aboji, Chu'nyan! But you can't!" He laughs again. "Wanna know why? Because you can't even touch him!"

Chu'nyan retorts that he can yap and brag all he wants. The amen'osa will come and when they do, all the evils he and his father have committed will be judged.

The man just laughs and points to the young woman and her elderly father. He says that their tax is doubled. If they don't pay, their store will be confiscated and both of them will receive 300 lashes. The young woman weeps and the man laughs loudly as he stumps away.

Anna bites her lip, hard. She can taste the metal. She releases the princess. The princess runs to the boy's side. Anna wipes the blood from her lip and heals the wound. It seems that there are some emotions she can't hide.


	24. Koryo V

Koryo V

With Syaoran and Anna carrying the baskets of winnings, they return to the house. Mokona is back on Anna's shoulder. It took a moment, but she was able to calm herself and smile at it. When she did, it smiled back and squealed and acted as if, moments before, it wasn't scared of her. However, as she walks, her aggravation with everything about the Ryanban grows deeper.

A ruler is only as strong as the people who fill his town are happy. This is a philosophy her father loosely lived by, but lived by nonetheless. This was the philosophy that formed everything Anna is now. She chose the happiness of her people and her sister above her own. It was because of this that her kingdom flourished as much as it did. Compared to those before her, her reign brought the most happiness and peace to the people. Because of this, she was happy. As long as they were happy, she was happy.

Anna can't understand rulers like the Ryanban. Rulers who only want power. Rulers who could care less about the prosperity of their people. Rulers who thinks it is better to be hated then loved. She finds their very existence irritating. _I guess no matter what world we're in, _thinks Anna; _human beings are still the same. _

The door is open and she can see Kurogane and Fai sitting at a little table. "Welcome home!" greets Fai, standing. "How did everything go?" He looks them over. Anna smiles at him faintly but their eyes fall to Chu'nyan. Chu'nyan's head hangs low and her eyes are red from tears. Even so, Fai still smiles. "I guess it didn't go as well as you hoped."

They enter the house, removing their shoes. Anna catches Kurogane's eye and he looks away. Anna looks at Syaoran. She points to his head and he smiles meekly. He takes a seat and Sakura sits near him, worried. Chu'nyan tells Fai and Kurogane what happened.

"I can heal the wound," whispers Anna, "But you'll have to wash the blood away yourself."

"That's all right," Syaoran says. "Thank you very much for this, Anna-san. And protecting Her Highness back there."

"Yes!" exclaims the princess. "Thank you."

Anna smiles with a nod. "Not a problem. I'm glad I'm not as useless as I thought I was."

"Yeah! Yeah!" coos Mokona from Kurogane's lap. "Anna-chan was totally scary! But so cool at the same time!"

This takes Anna aback. The shock shows on her face and Syaoran notices this. He looks at her and she looks away. She's used to being alone. When she was at the cabin, the only time she spent with other people was at work and walking through town to get home. And walking through town, she didn't talk unless spoken to first or if she was buying something. Other then that, she staid away from others. She'd sit in her cabin and read or bake pointless sweets or she'd work in her garden or wash her clothes even when they didn't need washing. Sometimes she'd wander through the woods around the cabin. She kept her magic to herself as much as possible, so no one bothered her to heal him or her. As far as they knew, she was a weak magician who could only heal bruises and scratches.

By keeping to herself and pretending everything was fine, no one bothered her. There was no need for her to show anything else but a false smile and her manners. These circumstances, traveling with four and a half strangers, bothers her. She thought she could hide everything, like she has done for so long. But that was back home in a world she knew inside and out. Here, in a different world, she doesn't know what will happen and how she should react. It's only the second world and she's already loosing it.

"Ooh!" coos Fai. "Is that true?"

Her mouth gapes open for a moment then she sighs. Chu'nyan nods and says that she's never seen anything like it, the way Anna stood up to a guy like the son of the Ryanban. Chu'nyan compares Anna's behavior with an angry mother scolding her troublesome child.

Kurogane chuckles. "Wish I could've seen that!"

Anna stands and rubs her hands together, shaking her head. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did," she explains. "I angered him and Syaoran got hurt because of it."

"No, Anna-san," pleads the boy. "What you said was true. I just didn't think you would say something like that."

Anna nods her head and runs a hand through her bangs. "I didn't think I'd say something like that either."

Kurogane leans back against the wall, arms behind his head. "Anyway, if this Ryanban is so bad, why haven't you risen up against him?" Anna takes a seat next to him and Mokona jumps into her lap. Kurogane watches as it does. Anna gives him a look that says, "I guess it likes me more." He looks away, waiting for an answer to his question.

Chu'nyan explains that they have tried, a number of times. They couldn't get anywhere near the Ryanban. There is some kind of magic around the castle. Nobody was able to get close to it.

Fai claps his hands together and says that that makes sense. Anna runs her hands over each other then brings to her mouth to warm them. He says that the weird magic must be what Mokona sensed. Mokona agrees, saying it can't tell if it's the feather or not. Then Fai's face lights up with an idea. He waves his hand in the air and says, "Have you considered holding that son of his hostage or something like that?"

Kurogane scoffs. "By my way of thinking, that idea is a little late in coming." There's a look of "How much of an idiot can you be?" on his face. Anna nods in agreement with Kurogane, though and sighs, leaning back against the wall. Mokona looks up at her and she smiles down at it, poking its belly. Mokona giggles.

Chu'nyan shakes her head, saying that they can't do something like that. The Ryanban uses magic to watch every part of town.

Anna thinks you a minute, then says, "You said the Ryanban got much stronger suddenly, correct?" Chu'nyan nods. Fai is the one to complete the thought with a serious face. He says that he wonders if it has anything to do with Sakura's feather.

Syaoran nods, saying that makes sense. The princess is washing the blood from his face. There's a look of vagueness and worry on her face.

Kurogane runs a hand though his hair. Anna notices how much better he looks without that helmet mask like thing on his face. When he has it on, his ears look bigger than they really are. She notices how his eyebrows are always pulled in at the middle of his forehead, like he's always angry with something. Kurogane says that wouldn't add up, that is was only a short while ago that the princess's memories were scattered through the worlds.

"True," say Anna. "But we're in a different dimension now. Time flows differently in each one." Fai nods in agreement and Syaoran stands. This thought irritates her.

"I'll go check and see whether the Ryanban has the feather or not." The princess grabs his arm then, telling him to wait. He smiles down at her and says that everything will be okay, that if there's a feather, he'll get it back for her. Anna smiles to herself, unaware that it's a genuine one and that Kurogane is looking at her from the corner of his eye.

Fai raises his hand then, telling the boy to wait a minute. He explains that the power of the Ryanban is pretty strong. If he simply walks there, he'll never succeed. At the very least, they need a power strong enough to create an entrance to the castle.

"Can't you do something about that, wizard?" says Kurogane.

"Impossible!" sings Fai.

"Then quit pretending you have a plan when you don't!"

"Mokona will ask!" Mokona sings from Anna's lap. It jumps off her and lets out a squeal. The crystal on its head glows and a light shoots from it. A circle appears at the end of the light, revealing the Space Time Witch. The black haired woman turns around and asks what's up. Chu'nyan freaks out and wraps her arms around the princess. Syaoran is dumbfounded and Fai is impressed, saying that Mokona is very convenient.

"THERE ARE LIMITS TO HOW CONVENIENT THINGS SHOULD BE!" screams Kurogane. Anna chuckles to herself, amused.


	25. Koryo VI

Koryo VI

Fai explains to the Dimensional Witch that there is a strange magic surrounding the castle, a castle they need to get into. The witch asks why they called, that Fai has magic and that he don't need her. Fai says he turned over the source of his magic to the witch, which Yuko denies. She says that the mark he gave up was a device that held his power in check. Fai's power is now what is was originally meant to be. Fai merely smiles but Anna and the others look him over. He doesn't seem to notice.

_He's hiding something,_ Anna thinks, still sitting against the wall. Kurogane now stands, facing the witch.

Yuko sighs and says that she will hand over something that will help break the magic that surrounds the castle. But she expects payment, of course. Syaoran becomes frantic, saying that they don't have anything to give her. Fai walks to the corner of the room. Anna looks down at the ring. She covers it with her hand, ignoring the voice in the back of her head.

Fai calls from the corner of the room, removing his staff from a closet. "How will this do?" he asks. "It's a magical device. Can you use it?"

"I think that will do," says the witch. "Send it through Mokona." With that, the white creature opens its mouth wide and swallows the staff.

Fai kneels down next to Syaoran. The boy asks if that was okay, if Fai was sure. Fai nods his head, saying that it's all right.

Mokona open its mouth again and a ball comes flying out. Syaoran catches it. The ball looks like a darkly clouded crystal orb. The boy's face becomes serious and determined, as he looks the ball over. He mumbles something under his breath.

Before they decide to head out, Kurogane and Fai changed into the clothes the princess had won for them. The three men walk out the front door to the front yard. The princess and Chu'nyan follow with Anna right behind them.

Fai puts a hand in the air. "I think Anna-chan should come with us!" he offers.

Syaoran looks at her, asking if she wants to join them. Anna shrugs. "I'm not sure how much help I could be."

"You could scold the Ryanban to death," says Kurogane. She glares at him and he looks away with a chuckle.

"Well, if we get hurt," explains Fai. "Then Anna-chan can heal us!" He smiles at her.

"I'm not much of a fighter though. I'll just get in the way. I'll stay here with the princess and Chu'nyan." A pause. "I'll heal you when you get back." She smiles at him and he nods, a little disappointed but understanding.

Chu'nyan yells that she doesn't want to stay at the house, that she wants to go to the Ryanban's castle, too. Fai tries to explain to her that it's going to be dangerous. Chu'nyan says that she's prepared for that. "Hmmm. I'm not getting through to her," whispers Fai. He looks at Kurogane, who looks away. Kurogane claims that he has no talent for explaining things to kids. Chu'nyan races over to Syaoran, pleads to him that she has to go. That she has to avenge her mother.

Anna steps forward and takes the girl's shoulder. Chu'nyan looks up at her, angry and confused. "Revenge isn't a good enough reason to go," she says. "Give me a better reason and I'll give you permission to go."

The three men keep their mouths shut.

Chu'nyan grits her teeth and tears form in her eyes. She can't come up with a better excuse to go. Anna sets a hand on the girl's head. "Just stay here with me and Ms. Sakura, okay? Leave the manly fighting to the men." She smiles weakly.

Syaoran smiles at Anna then at Chu'nyan. He then looks to the princess. He declares that they will be back soon. He says it not as a promise but something that will happen, no matter what. The boy begins to walk away. The other two follow him.

Chu'nyan falls to her knees, tears streaming down her face. Sakura kneels down next to her and wraps her arms around the crying child. She rests her head on hers.

_Revenge is never a good reason for anything, _thinks Anna. She recalls that summer day, the day of the wedding.Out of anger and in the name of revenge, she tried to murder Rothbart. Even if she had succeeded, it wouldn't have made a difference. Her beloved older sister is dead. There is nothing that can change that.


	26. Koryo VII

Koryo VII

The two young girls and Anna sit at a little table in the middle of the room. They sip on hot tea, saying nothing. Anna holds the cup in her hands, feeling the warmth of the cup on her cold skin. She can't help but think of the three in the castle and how they are doing. She can see that the princess is worrying as well. Chu'nyan seems angry but is holding her tongue on the matter. Anna expected her to continue protesting, but no.

Anna looks around the room, her eyes landing on a hand mirror on a tale under the window. "Chu'nyan," she says. The girl looks at her. "You had said your mother practiced the same magic as the Ryanbon, yes?"

The girl nods. "She was a shinban, but she used her powers for good," she answers.

"What is this power actually?"

"It's called hijutsu." Anna repeats the word under her breath. "Shinban should use their powers for the benefit of others." Chu'nyan frowns at the thought of the Ryanban misusing his powers.

"Is that so?" Anna leans back, her arms supporting her. "Did your mother ever teach you hijutsu?"

The girl nods. The princess sits silently, listening. She rubs her eyes and yawns. Anna smiles at her and she smiles back. She asks if the princess would like to lay down for a bit but the princess says that she's all right.

Chu'nyan begins to explain that once, back before this evil Ryanban and his son came, her mother took her to a tree far from town. There her mother used her folding fan, the one the Ryanban's son used, to show her the ways of hijutsu. She had told her that the fan was an artifact that amplified her powers. Her mother was able to bring life to the tree with her hijutsu, with and without the fan. When Chu'nyan tried to do it, she was unable to. "My omoni had told me that you should use your powers for others and never for yourself. To bring happiness to the people whom they love; that's hijutsu." The girl's words hang in the air for a moment. Then she slams her hands on the table with a look of "I get it now!"

Anna leans forward on the table. She wasn't sure what she was fishing for in Chu'nyan, but it seems that she found it.

The girl looks at Anna with a smile. "I think I have a good enough reason to go now."

Anna nods. "And what would that be?"

"I want to help the town," she declares. "I want to free the town from the Ryanban so everyone can be happy again!"

Anna smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. She's irritated now. A child like Chu'nyan has been able to overcome her desire for revenge, found a path that pulls away from hatred. Then there is Syaoran, a young boy on the verge of becoming a man in the short time she's be with him. He is sad and hurt, that's for sure, but he's not really hiding it. He's overcoming it. These are things Anna has never been able to do. Things she'll probably never be able to do. She'll keep bottling it for the sake of others. Or this is what she tells herself.

Chu'nyan stands and runs over to the table under the window. She grabs the mirror. The mirror is in the shape of a circle with little handles on two sides. From the handles, braided ribbon ties on two beads. From the beads, the ribbon frays. The mirror is set in a wood frame painted a midnight blue. Chu'nyan says that the mirror was a gift from her mother. "This is an artifact," the girl explains, facing Anna. "I can use my powers with this."

Anna stands and the princess follows. "Then, I take it we're going to the castle now," she says. "For all the right reasons." The princess tries to protest a little but gives up. "It's all right. I'm sure Syaoran will understand." A pause. "There's nothing you need to worry about, Princess." She smiles and the princess smiles back.

The three head out towards the castle. They find the town empty. The town's people, inspired by the three strangers who were able to break into the castle, have decided to stand against the Ryanban once again. This makes Chu'nyan happy as she walks ahead of Anna with Sakura at her side. Anna somewhat second-guesses what they're doing, she and the girls. But she wants to watch the Ryanban and his pathetic son fall. She wouldn't be able to move to the next world content knowing that he was still ruling. She wouldn't be able to forgive herself for that. With everything else that's bottled up inside her, there's no room for regret, not when she can do something about it.

They wander through the empty town, towards the castle. A man steps out of the shadows. Chu'nyan recognizes him and asks him what's going on. He steps forward and says that he has orders from his lord, the Ryanban. Anna tenses and steps forward, getting between the princess and Chu'nyan.

"What's the matter with you?" Chu'nyan curses.

Anna notices the look in his face. It's dead, mindless. A strange stone is embedded in his forehead. Chu'nyan notices as well. The princess doesn't know what to make of the situation. Anna takes a step forward again, towards him, ready to defend. The princess grabs her arm, telling her to wait, not to hurt him.

The man walks towards them, saying that they need to come with him to the castle. Chu'nyan says no and puts her mirror out in front of her. "You're not yourself!" With her words, the mirror glows and shines light as if it were reflecting the sun, only it is evening and the sky is cloudy. The man lets out a scream and shields his face from the light. The stone on his forehead cracks when shatters. The man falls to his knees, hand on his forehead. He gasps for air for a moment. He looks up at Chu'nyan. She steps forward. Anna whispers for her to wait but the girl says it's okay.

Chu'nyan asks if the man is all right. He nods. When asked, he explains that the townsmen entered the castle, to take down the Ryanban. But then the Ryanban did something to all of them. The next thing he knew, he was following the Ryanban's orders, unable to stop himself. It was as if he wasn't himself.

"He's controlling the town's people," hisses Chu'nyan. She turns towards Anna, her eyes unwavering and yet pleading. "We have to save them all!"

The princess nods in agreement. Anna smiles. "I'll do what I can to help." The man stands and says that he will to. The four of them now head to the castle. 


	27. Koryo VIII

Koryo VIII

Chu'nyan races ahead of Anna and the man. Sakura runs along side Chu'nyan. Getting to the castle was no trouble. Going through the castle was also not a problem. It made Anna uneasy, same with the man. They walk through the hallways, turn left then right. Chu'nyan was leading the way, saying that she could sense his magic this way and that way. Anna didn't protest.

As they walked, Anna walked in front of them. The man walked behind Chu'nyan and the princess. They meet a fork in the road. Down one way, there is noise. The noise of men yelling and gasping like in a fight. Over them is a deep voice that Chu'nyan and the man recognize as the Ryanban. Chu'nyan doesn't think twice, she runs past Anna and down the hallway. The princess runs after her. Anna hesitates for only a moment then follows. The man calls after them, telling them to wait up as he runs to catch up.

At the end of the hallway, doors that reach the high ceiling are wide open. _The commotion is coming from in there_, Anna notices. Chu'nyan and the princess stop at the threshold. Chu'nyan grits her teeth, seeing the town's people in front of her armed with wooden poles. Anna stops just behind her, finding Syaoran defending himself against the controlled townies. The princess calls his name and he turns around, surprise. Syaoran's clothes are covered in dirt and grime, ripped and torn. His ankle seems to be swollen and his face and hands are covered in starches and a few bruises.

The controlled men step towards Chu'nyan and the princess. Syaoran tries to fend them off. Chu'nyan raises her mirror into the air. She screams for everybody to wake up as the same light shines from the mirror, only slightly brighter and on a larger scale. The townies pause their movements in a daze, the stone on their head crack and crumble to the floor. They look around, confused.

"Chu'nyan!" cheers Mokona from Syaoran's shoulder. "Sakura and Anna too!" The white creature hops over to them and Anna catches it in her hands. She smiles at it and it smiles back, saying that it's glad to see them.

Anna sees the man who is the Ryanban standing across the room. The feather is in his hands, the glass ball that was once around it crumbling. Chu'nyan hisses at the man that she may be weak but that she is strong enough to take him down.

The man curses back.

Mokona jumps from Anna's hands and hops over to another door way. Her eyes follow the creature. Mokona jumps towards Kurogane and Fai. She lets out a sigh of relief. They are hurt greatly, covered in burns and starches. But they seem to be all right. Mokona jumps at Kurogane, knocking him in the head with its head. "You're both late!" the creature complains.

"Oh, shut up!" growls Kurogane, gripping Mokona by the ears.

Syaoran steps forward, a hand out. "Give it back," he says to the Ryanban calmly. "Princess Sakura's memories belong to her. Give it back!"

Sakura tries to take a step forward but Anna stops her. The princess's eyes don't leave the boy.

The man begs for the boy to wait. He begins to plead for his pathetic life. He says that with the power of the feather, he can bring Chu'nyan's mother back from the dead. "If-if you hurt me or kill me, that can never happen!"

Anna's eyebrow twitches as her stomach begins to turn. There is a pain in her heart as well. Chu'nyan grips the mirror in her hands, her head hanging. The princess holds the girl shaking shoulders. Anna steps forward. "You are the Ryanban, correct?" She doesn't wait for an answer. "Then that means that you are the man that murdered Chu'nyan's mother. You're the one who murdered a woman who was just trying to protect this village." She stands next to Syaoran now, looking down at the man. He stares up at her, afraid. Just like with his son, Anna's voice is even and laced with venom. "You were scared of her, knowing that she would win. I don't know the details but just by looking at you I can tell. You killed her when she wasn't looking, didn't you? You probably used some cheap trick, ignoring any sense of honor. That is the only reason you defeated her, right?" She waited for a moment but the man said nothing. "You should've stepped down then. It wouldn't have been as hesitating as being beat by children."

"Anna-san…" Syaoran whispers. Anna ignores him, taking one more step forward.

"How-how dare a woman like you such things to me!" he yells.

"You are in no position to say such a thing. I have just as much power here as you do." A pause. "None." The man gasps. Anna turns to face Chu'nyan. "You understand that he is lying, right? That no matter what, the dead can't come back?" Chu'nyan looks at Anna, her eyes red from tears and full of anger and hate. Anna looks at her with sad eyes, understanding. If there was a way a return the dead to life, she would've done so a long time ago.

The girl grits her teeth. "No matter how much power you have, you cannot bring the dead back to life." The girl says with conviction, as if she must say it in order to believe it. The girl knows that this is the truth, but she is still a child. Any sense of hope she had on the matter was small and is now gone. "NO MATTER HOW MUCH I WANT TO BE WITH HER, I WILL NEVER SEE MY OMONI EVER AGAIN!" A pause for breath. "AND STILL HE SPOUTS SUCH LIES!" The princess holds Chu'nyan from walking forward.

"Chu'nyan," says Syaoran. "Do you want to take your revenge now?" He looks towards the girl from the corner of his eye. "If it will help, you can take it. But is he really worth you effort?"

Anna looks at the girl. She closes her eyes, tears streaming down her face. "That freak isn't worth the energy it takes to hit him!"

Anna smiles. _Good girl, _she thinks.


	28. Koryo IX

Koryo IX

Syaoran steps onward towards the pathetic man called the Ryanban. He demands that he returns the feather. The man pleads for the boy to spare him, not willing to give up the feather.

From nothing, a woman appears behind the man. Anna takes a step back and Syaoran tenses. The woman kneels behind the man, her eyes black. She grins devilishly and wraps her hands around the man's face. Her long claw like nails cage the man's head. His eyes widen and shake in fear.

The woman, dressed in black with pale blue hair, says, "That will be enough." A pause. "You have made yourself very comfortable, shutting yourself inside my castle, have you not?" she asks of the man, not excepting a response. "This churl would dictate me actions," the woman explains. She says that she must show him her appreciation for his actions slowly.

"N-NO! DON'T!" the man begs. The space behind the woman turn black and pliable, turning like a whirlpool, sucking her and the man into it. "DON'T DO IT! STOP!" he screams.

The woman's voice is soothing and cool yet dark. "Be at ease. You will be greeted with the greatest welcomes by my many sons," she says. The man pleads for his life, but he is easy to ignore. The woman looks to Chu'nyan, saying that her mother was an excellent shinban. Her only mistake was to fall for the Ryanban's cowardly trap. The woman explains that Chu'nyan's mother once said that she would polish her skills in battle with her. That Chu'nyan's mother anticipated teaching Chu'nyan and watching her become a shinban more powerful than herself. "Grow strong," she tells the girl, "Until you skill may fairly challenge mine."

Chu'nyan grips her teeth, a look of determination on her face. "I will!" she declares. "You can bet on it!"

The woman nods with a smile. "Very well. Until then…" The woman falls back in the blackness, the shaking and begging Ryanban in her arms. "Farewell, you adorable little worms." The blackness sucks its self in and disappears as the man gives out one last cry.

After a moment, Syaoran steps forward and takes the feather from the ground. Anna didn't notice that the man had dropped it. He turns to the face the princess, feather in hand. The feather slowly flies from his hand to the girl's chest.


	29. Koryo X

Koryo X

After the feather was returned to the princess, she falls asleep. The town's people rejoice in the defeat of the Ryanban. The travelers decide to let the princess sleep for a while before moving to the next world; maybe she'll wake up before then. Back at Chu'nyan's house, Anna heals the men.

Fai is the first to be healed, as he is very eager since he's the only one of Anna's travel companions to yet be healed by her. When Anna asks what had happened in the castle, how they got their wounds, he explains that it was the woman, the one who took the Ryanban away. The woman made spheres and rain of acid. She, too, was under the control of the Ryanban.

_Hell hath no fury compared to a woman scorned, _Anna thinks, amused.

Once done with Fai, Anna begins to heal Kurogane. She would've moved on to Syaoran next, worried for his ankle, but he said to heal Kurogane first. He was insistent and hard to argue with.

Kurogane sits in front of her, his back to her, shirtless. She had Fai do the same thing. It's easier to heal the wounds when not hiding them behind clothing. She had to compromise with them in just taking their tops off. She was right to have them remove their clothes. The cloth may have taken most of the damage from the acid, but the skin was still affected, mostly around the shoulders and a little down the back. With this, Anna agreed that there was no need for them to remove their pants.

Fai had pretended to be bashful about taking his shirt off but obeyed Anna's instructions. Kurogane was also reluctant but Anna was much too irritated to deal with him and his grumpy self. She threatened to remove his clothes for him. He called her crazy but removed his shirt on his own. It wasn't until then that she noticed Chu'nyan and Syaoran, sitting in the corner with the sleeping princess, blushing ear to ear. It never occurred to her that this would make others uncomfortable. She ignores the thought. It didn't bother her and the others could just suck it up.

Anna feels Kurogane's muscles tense under her touch. Kurogane's body is very different from Fai's. His skin is tan and firm whereas Fai's is pale and not firm. Kurogane is also very muscular, as a soldier should be. She assuming he is soldier, or warrior, since he carried a sword when she first saw him and that he wears armor. Fai's build is more slender than Kurogane's, not really that of a soldier. Kurogane is slim and tall but his shoulders are broad. He also tends to hunch forward, Anna notices.

A shiver runs up Kurogane's spine and he moves away from Anna. Anna lets out a sigh, annoyed. "If you keep moving, then I can't heal you!" she says, hands on her hips.

"Why the hell are your hands so cold, huh?" he barks.

She glares at him and pulls at his ear, forcing him to move back into place. "Sit still and suck it up!" She positions her hands over his back, and just because she could, she runs a cold finger down his spine. He lets out a yelp but one look at Anna silences him.

Fai and Mokona laugh. They kneel next to her; Mokona in Fai's arms. Fai changed back into his normal clothes. "You shouldn't upset An-chan, Kurorin!" Fai coos.

Mokona shakes its head in disagreement. "No, not An-chan," it says. "She needs a better name than that!"

"Then what do we call her?" Fai asks. "Anna-chan is much too formal, don't you think, Kuro Kuro?"

He growls. "Leave me out of this."

"Ah, come now, Kurgs!" He pokes at his arm. "What do you think we should call her?"

"Just call her by her name!" he says. "I'm sick of your weird nicknames."

Anna lets out a small laugh and tells Kurogane to turn around and he does, but not after protesting a little. She starts at the top of his shoulders and works her way down his arms.

"What about 'Mommy-chan'?" asks Mokona. "Anna-chan is like a mommy!" sings Mokona. "She scolds us when we're naughty! And protects us when Kuropo is being mean!"

"Hey!" barks Kurogane.

Anna lets out a weak chuckle. Fai closes his eyes and thinks for a moment, a hand on his chin. "No. I think she's more like a wifey-chan than a mommy-chan," he says.

Anna's cheeks turn a light pink. Her eyes glaze over.

"_There's nothing more I want than to make your sister my wife," Siegfried said, on his knees looking up at Odile. "I only ask for your blessing." Odile thought for a moment though she already knew the answer. She told him that he makes her sister very, very happy. But she's not sure that Odette would make a good wifey though, she hardly knows how to do anything but talk and shop. They both laugh and he stands, taking her hands in his, thanking her over and over. She says that it is not a problem, that he and Odette were meant to be together. The council will oppose the marriage, she tells him, but she'll find a way around that. She smiles at him and he smiles back. _

"Hey!" She straightens up at the sound. She looks to find Kurogane waving his hand in front of her. "What are you spacing out for?" He scowls and she looks away. She mumbles an apology and continues to heal him. Fai asks if she's all right and she says that she is fine. She suggests that they continue to call her "Anna-chan" until they can figure out whether she's a mother or a wife. Fai and Mokona agree.

She finishes healing Kurogane. She leans back with a sigh. She says she needs a moment before she can heal the boy. Syaoran says not to worry, that he's fine. Anna says that he's not and needs his ankle healed. The boy bites his tongue, not sure how Anna knew about his ankle.

It's a skill a Healer has. They can "sense" a persons injuries; where and how bad. The idea is to turn the "sense" into a "sixth sense" of sorts. It takes years to develop this. Anna may be a Master but her "sense" could still use some work.

A chill runs up her spine and the breath leaves her body. Anna straightens herself, feeling an achy pain throughout her fingers and neck. Leaning forward, she grips her hands together and holds them in her lap, trying to catch her breath.

Kurogane looks himself over and Fai does as well. "You're truly amazing, Anna-chan!" he coos. "I've never seen powers like yours. Your world must really be something."

She smiles and runs a hand over her bangs. There is something in his words that sends her on edge. Her hand traces down her neck, over the swan. Then her hand falls into her lap. Mokona jumps into her lap and looks up at her. It asks if she's doing all right, if she's feeling all right.

She's taken aback. "Yes." She smiles. "I'm fine."

It puffs out its cheeks. "You're bad at lying."

"Hey, now," she says, poking the creature in the belly. It giggles and falls back. She continues to tickle it when she says, "I'm just tired is all. Please don't think too much of it."

Kurogane gives her a look of suspicion. She looks away from him. He sighs and also looks away. Fai looks at him than at Anna then back at Kurogane. Then he looks back at Anna. He asks, "Before, when we were leaving for the castle. You asked Chu'nyan for a better reason than revenge. Did she come up with a better reason and that's why you were at the castle, if you don't mind me asking?"

Kurogane chuckles. "She probably just wanted to scold the Ryanban."

Anna ignores the comment and looks to the floor. "She remembered something her mother had told her. She decided then that she wanted to save the town and the people in it. In my eyes, that's a better reason than wanting to avenge a loved one."

"You talk as if you have experience in revenge," says Kurogane, crossing his arms in front of his chest. He looks at her.

She frowns but doesn't look at him. How should she reply? She's not that good at lying, as Mokona so blatantly pointed out. Anna knows she isn't a good lair. This is why she avoids such questions. But now, Kurogane is staring her down and so is Fai, then Mokona is looking up at her. Thankfully the boy is talking with Chu'nyan. She takes a deep breath then and lets it out. She nods. "I do," she confesses. "I took revenge against the man who killed my sister." She bites her lip. She stands then, before Kurogane or Fai can say anything more. "I prefer not to talk about it," she says, putting Mokona on Fai's head.

She walks over to Syaoran. "It's your turn," she smiles. He flinches a little as she sits down in front of him. "I guess I could heal you with your shirt on," she says, "But it'll take three times as long to heal you." He nods and removes his shirt. "Actually, can I see your ankle first?"

"Oh, sorry," he says.

"There's no need to apologize." She takes his right ankle in her hand. He winces a little. She moves her hands slowly over his ankle and a little up his leg. It's fractured. She doesn't tell him this and just begins to heal it.

"Why is she so nice to the kid?" complains Kurogane to Fai.

"That's because Syaoran is a good boy," says Fai, walking over the Anna. Chu'nyan watches her as she heals Syaoran. She had asked what kind of hijutsu she was using. Anna explained that it's not hijutsu but just something she can do, something many people from her home can do, though probably not at the same scale as her. Chu'nyan called her amazing. Anna only chuckled.

"There you go," she says, standing. She rubs her hands together. Fai hands Anna her original clothes. "Thank you." She smiles and he smiles back, eyes open. She looks away and heads for the door. On the way to the door, she can feel Kurogane looking at her. She tries to ignore it but it's difficult. She finds it irritating. She finds this whole journey irritating. She was doing fine on her own. She was content in that cabin as a farmer. She didn't have to tell anyone anything because no one asked or they were fine with her short answers. But not here. Her companions seem to all have the ability to look right through her. She's finding it so difficult to hide, to pretend that she's fine.

She was never a good liar. She can't even lie to herself properly.


	30. Koryo XI

Koryo XI

Anna pulls at the hem of her coat as she stands between Kurogane and Fai. Syaoran and the princess talk with Chu'nyan, standing a few feet in front of them, the townies behind Chu'nyan. She thanks them over and over for freeing them from the Ryanban. Chu'nyan says that she'll become strong like her mother. Sakura takes her hands in hers, "You will be!" she says. "I'm sure of it."

Mokona jumps from Anna's head and into the air. Its wings open at its back.

"Well, then," says Fai. "Shall we be going?"

"We shall!" coos Mokona.

Chu'nyan panics and points at Mokona, confused. "Where are you going? You just got here!"

Syaoran and the princess join the others. They smiles to Chu'nyan. The boy tells her that there is something that they need to do. "Be well," the princess adds.

The colors over take them once again.


	31. The Country of Fog I

The Country of Fog I

The first thing to hit her is the humid air. She opens her mouth in order to breath. Anna looks ahead of her. There is a forest but everywhere she looks, there is fog. The whole forest is covered in fog. The fog in front of them parts a bit and Anna can now see a giant lake before her.

"So, where the hell are we now?" curses Kurogane.

"By a really big lake, I'd say," answers Fai.

"I don't see any houses or anything like that," Anna notices.

"Well, white bun," says Kurogane to Mokona, who is on top of the boy's head. "Do you sense the feather?"

Mokona answers that it senses a really strong power in the lake.

"You mean we gotta look underwater?"

"What's that?" Anna smirks up at him. "You can't swim, Mr. Kuropi?" He glares down at her and she smiles up at him. "Don't worry, I can't either." This is a lie, more like a joke.

"Please, wait!" exclaims the princess. "I should be the one to… go…" She begins to fall over, falling asleep as she stands. Kurogane catches her with one hand. Anna takes her from him, setting her on the ground. The girl is fast asleep and Mokona tells Syaoran this.

Fai takes off his first coat and pulls it over the sleeping girl. "I suggest we start a fire," he says. "Then we'll go look around." He points to himself, Kurogane, and Anna. Syaoran nods in agreement and begins a search for firewood. Anna walks behind a few trees and grabs a few dry fallen branches. After a short amount of time, the four of them return with plenty of wood to start a fire. Syaoran is the one to place the wood in the proper formation. He and Fai grab some fist-sized rocks as well and place them in a circle around the wood. Fai kneels of the wood and rocks with two sticks in his hands. He starts to rub them together. Anna laughs, greatly amused. She says that she doesn't think that'll work. Kurogane agrees.

Syaoran bends down next to him with two stones in his hand. "Lets try and make a spark with these instead," he says.

Fai giggles and stands, throwing the sticks away. "It was worth a try," he says. The boy hits the rocks together is such a way that sparks fly. It takes a few dozen tries but the sparks soon catch on the wood and a campfire is made. Fai claps his hands, praising Syaoran. Kurogane gives a "tsk" sound and turns to walk away, into the forest. Fai follows after him, pulling Anna along. She tries to protest but fails.

The three of them walk for a while, not saying much. Mokona rests on Anna's head. "Your hair is so soft, Anna-chan!" it coos. "It's not like Kuro Kuro's hair that's short and pointy. It hurts Mokona!"

"Serves you right!" Kurogane barks. Anna chuckles.

"But Anna-chan's skin is so cold." The creature leans over her forehead to look at her face. "Why is that? Is it because of the seal Yuko gave you?"

Anna stops walking and takes Mokona in her hands. She opens her mouth to say something but nothing comes out. "It's…" she stammers, looking to the ground.

"I've been wondering the same thing, Anna-chan," says Fai. She looks at him, surprise on her face. Hesitantly, she looks to Kurogane, who is also looking at her, wanting an answer as well. His arms are crossed in front of his chest. He stands straight and tall.

Anna looks to the ground and lets out a sigh. "I guess there's no point in ignoring it, huh?" she whispers. She looks up at Mokona. She smiles weakly. "My cold skin has nothing to do with the seal. You see, there's this… belief back in my world that your physical condition reflects your mental condition."

"What?" says Kurogane, scratching his head.

"So, if you're an ugly person on the inside, you're an ugly person on the outside too?" questions Fai.

Anna nods her head in a manner that says, "That's more or less the case." A pause. "But it's only a belief considered a myth really." Fai nods,

Kurogane says, "Then what does that make you? Col—"

"Ah!" Anna manages to say, stopping his words. "Please don't say it." She looks up at him, a look in her eyes that pleads for him not to press the matter further. This is a look, an emotion she's kept locked up. A look and a feeling of powerlessness. She hates the feeling. She hates feeling hopelessness, frail, vulnerable. This whole thing is irritating her. What good could possibly come from this? She is the first to look away from Kurogane, pulling the white creature to her chest, feeling its warm body on hers. It takes a moment but Kurogane looks away, a slight redness to his cheeks.

"Then what about this seal?" asks Fai, eyes open and no smile on his face. He points to the black swan on Anna's chest. In the eye of the swan is a magic circle. The circle is quite small and hard to see, but it's there.

She takes a deep breath in then out. She pushes her feelings to the back of her mind, into a place where she can ignore them for now. Anna's fingers trace over one of the swan's wings then up over the eye. "I got this seal from Ms. Yuko."

"That's why you're traveling worlds, to pay her back."

"Yes."

"That's a strange seal."

Anna bites her lip. "You're not going to leave it alone unless I tell you," she states not as a question.

"Unfortunately, no." He smiles.

She sighs and looks down at Mokona, which is looking up at her. "You sure do like to start things, don't you?" She smiles faintly and it smiles back. With a sigh, she explains the seal in the most simple sense she can, leaving out that the same man who killed her sister did this to her. She keeps her voice even and her gaze indifferent. "The bond that kept my soul and body together was torn apart. My soul would just fly in and out of my body without warning. I had to find a way to fix it." A pause. She tries to push the memories out of her mind. "I found Ms. Yuko and asked for her help. She couldn't repair the bond but she found a way round that by sealing my soul into my body."

"And your soul took the form of a black bird?" questions Fai.

Anna nods her head.

"I've never heard of such a thing." He smiles.

Anna shakes her head. "I don't care about that."

"This seal," says Kurogane, "Doesn't that mean your soul can't leave your body, I mean after you die."

She sighs with a nod. "Even after I die, my soul will still be sealed to my body, I won't be able to move on…" She trails off and gives out a sigh. "I gave my 'time' for the seal and my 'afterlife' for this journey in order to give my 'time'. I think that the witch had everything planned out from the very start." The thought pisses her off to no end. She looks at Fai, "Are you content now?" The wizard is taken aback but smiles and nods. "Good. Please keep this all between us. There's no need to worry Syaoran with something that's not worth worrying about. He has enough to deal with."

She wants to tell herself that it doesn't matter if the boy finds out. That he won't worry anyway because he has so much to deal with already with looking for the feathers. But no. Anna knows better. The boy is much too polite to be the type to not care about others. He'd care about Anna's condition and worry about her. It's best for him not to know anything. It's for his own good. The princess can't find out either.

"See?" sings Mokona, jumping onto Kurogane's shoulder. "She is a mommy-chan! She's worried about Syaoran!"

"Why are you saying that to me?" Kurogane barks.

Anna and Fai let out a chuckle or two. They continue to walk on, looking around them for anything. She's thankful that they didn't ask any more questions.

However, for some reason, even after telling them as little as she did, she doesn't feel uncomfortable. A little uneasy but not uncomfortable. She's not sure if this should irritate her or amuse her. She's not sure what to make of the feeling. All she knows is that as much as she doesn't want to tell them more, she doesn't think it would be so bad if she did.


	32. The Country of Fog II

The Country of Fog II

The three and a half traveling companions continue to walk among the trees and fog. It's getting harder to see in front of themselves. Fai points this out.

"Yeah," says Kurogane. "Pretty thick, huh?"

"We've walked a pretty long way," says Anna. Fai adds that they have not met a single person, he thinks that no one lives here.

"It's scary. Very scary." This comes from Kurogane. Anna raises an eyebrow at the black figure walking ahead of her.

"Don't worry," smiles Fai. "I'm here to hold your hand."

"Ooh! That makes Kurogane sooo happy!"

"WHO ARE YOU CALLING KUROGANE?" he screams. Mokona jumps from inside the neck of his cape. "You're Mokona! Speak for yourself!"

The white creature jumps from him to Anna. "Kurogane's mad at me! And Mokona was just being playful!"

"Don't say disgusting things in my name, Riceball!"

Anna lets out a chuckle as Mokona dances in her hands. "You've gotten very good at imitating voices, Mokona!" praises Fai. "It sounded exactly like Kurgs!"

"It's one of Mokona's 108 Secret Techniques!" It jumps into Fai's hands.

"And the other 107?" asks Anna, smiling.

"They. Are. A. Secret!" it says, holding one of its stubby arms to its mouth.

Fai lets out a squeal and pulls Mokona to his cheek, rubbing his face into it. "Mokona, you're such a tease! You're so cute that I could just eat you up!"

Kurogane starts to walk away, cursing under his breath at the two. "Have a nice life you two," he hisses and stumps off. Anna starts to walk after him, Fai and Mokona still far behind. Fai calls for them to wait up.

A light shines and brightens the whole sky behind them. "What the—" whispers Anna. The light is coming from the lake. Without thinking, Anna starts to run back to the campsite, to where the princess and Syaoran are. Kurogane and Fai follow after.

They reach the campsite. Syaoran is nowhere to be seen. His cape, boots, and gloves are by the edge of the lake. The princess is fast asleep. The only thing out of the ordinary is the lake. In the middle of it glows a golden light. She walks to the edge, seeing nothing out of the place there. She puts her hands on her hips, confused. Kurogane walks up from behind her and stands beside her.

"The brat's in there, isn't he?" he asks.

Anna nods. "Probably." A finger of her right hand traces the silver bracelet on her left. She lets out a sigh. "He's fine," she declares, walking away from the water's edge and to the princess. Kurogane stays by the water for a moment before following her.

She kneels next to Fai whose looking down at the sleeping princess. The princess looks so peaceful in her sleep. Anna lets out a yawn. The last time she slept was in the Hanshin Republic. They were only in Koryo for a single day but it feels like so much longer. Her fatigue seems to be more of a mental one then a physical one. She ignores it.

A splash comes from the water. Syaoran pulls himself up onto the shore. Mokona races over to greet him. Its voice sounds urgent and afraid. "Syaoran! Syaoran! Sakura is…!" it says.

The boy races out of the water, worried to no end. "Sakura is…?" he yells.

Mokona grins. "…Fast asleep!"

The boy trips over himself. Anna finds herself stifling a chuckle, amused. Mokona jumps onto the boy's head. "Did I scare ya? Did I scare ya?" it sings. It explains that that was one of its secret techniques; super dramatic performance.

The boy is dumbfounded. Fai says, "It looks like you really were scared. However, from here on out, there'll be many more scares of that sort." A pause. He looks to Mokona. "So I think it'd be best to not use that technique like that again." Mokona nods. Fai continues to say that the princess has fallen asleep suddenly time and time again and that they may be in a more dire circumstance next time. Even so, they still need to find her feathers. He says that they need to take this journey a bit easier. "We don't have to dwell on the painful moments. We won't be able to forget them, even if we wanted to. But, if you were to smile and have fun for a moment or two, I doubt anyone would blame you for it. Some might even be happier for it."

The boy looks for something to say but stays quiet. His gaze falls to the girl. Anna looks away. Fai's words didn't make too much sense at first but the last part was a loaded statement, probably meant for all of them, not just Syaoran. She looks to the boy. _It's easier said then done, Fai, _she thinks.

Mokona jumps down to Syaoran's side. It smiles widely. "When Syaoran smiles, Mokona is so happy!" it coos. The boy smiles weakly at it.

Fai points to himself with a big smile on his face. "As am I of course." He points to Anna. She smiles at Syaoran. She agrees with Fai. Fai points to Kurogane. "And it make Kurgs happy, too!"

Kurogane looks away. "Keep me out of this," he says.

The princess mumbles and rubs her eyes. "You're awake," says Anna. The princess stands quickly causing Anna to fall back onto her bum. The princess yells Syaoran's name, saying that he's in the lake. Before more could be said, she runs for the lake. Anna reaches for her but is too slow. Syaoran runs after her and catches her before she jumps into the lake to go after him.

After the princess calms down, she and the boy return to the fire where the others stand. Fai tells the princess that there is no predicting what kind of journey they'll be taking from now on. He presumes that she is worried about finding her missing memories, but that she should try to make this journey an enjoyable one. "It's not often that people such as us wind up together," he says.

Anna stands next to Fai. She looks up at him with a smirk and he smiles down at her. "It's almost like you know something we don't," she teases.

The princess nods with a lovely smile. Anna's breath catches in her throat. _A childhood friend, _she tells herself. Sakura bows her head. "I understand very little of what's going on," she says, "And I'm afraid I'll be nothing but a hindrance. But I will give all I have to be of service. I'm in your hands."

Anna smiles at the princess. Then the thought hits her. She looks to Syaoran. "By the way, how was the lake?" she asks.

Mokona jumps onto Anna's head. "There was a really bright light! We were worried!" it coos.

Syaoran smiles and points to the lake. He says that there was a town down at the bottom. He runs back to the waters edge and picks up a very large and round fish scale. The scale radiates the same light that had come from the lake only moments before.

With a hand on his chin, Fai nods his head in understanding. "I see," he says. He explains that the people of this world must live underwater and that's why they didn't find any life on land.

Mokona ponders a thought, staring hard at the scale. It says that the strong power it felt before is coming from the scale. Fai and Syaoran come to the conclusion that there is no feather in this world since the only power that Mokona felt is from the lake, which is from the fish the scale and not the princess's feather.

Kurogane yawns, not very happy with the whole thing. "So this world was a waste of time!" Anna nods in agreement, very irritated.

"Ah! I wouldn't say that," coos Fai. He is looking at Anna. She glares at him and he looks away, a grin like a cat's on his face.

The princess nods, agreeing with Fai. She looks at the boy standing next to her. "It looks like it was fun for Syaoran-kun!" she says, smiling.

Syaoran smiles widely. "It's always fun when I get to see something wonderful with my own eyes," he says.

Anna wraps her arms around herself. She smiles to herself. The expression on his face makes her feel happy. The thought surprises her. She reaches a hand to her lips and the smile disappears. She covers her mouth with her hand and her eyes glaze over.

A memory passes over her eyes, one of time she spent with her sister.

_Odette had just gotten back from one of her trips to a foreign country. She had brought back many gifts, mainly clothing for herself. She complained that her younger sister was much too difficult to shop for. Even so, she returned with a few books and a pair of paintings. The paintings were gifts from the foreign king. Her younger sister was grateful, tracing her finger along the spine of one of the books. The smile on her face makes Odette blush and lean over. She kisses her sister on the cheek and wraps her arms around her shoulders. Her sister thinks nothing of the embrace; this is something Odette does. Her sister merely looks to her, them being the same height, and smiles widely. She thanks her sister for the books. They were not informational books but storybooks. Odette smiles back, teasing her about her head being up in the clouds. Her sister says that if she were anymore serious with things, Odette would wish her head truly were in the clouds. _

_Odette kisses her cheek again and lets her go. She takes a seat in one of the chairs of the table. "You know, Odile," she says. "You ought to come with me on one of my trips."_

_Her sister sets the book with the others on the table. "You know I can't do that," Odile says. _

_Odette sighs and shakes her head. "It's not fair." She pouts her bottom lip. _

"_Life isn't fair." Odette sticks her tongue out at her sister. Odile sighs and shakes her head. "You really are immature. No one would think you were the Queen."_

"_And with everything you do, they'd think you were the king!"_

"_That's because I am." Odile grins at her sister. Odette lets out a chuckle. Then bursts out into laughter. Odile laughs lightly along with her sister. _

The wind snaps Anna out of her memory. She holds her hair out of her face as Mokona opens its mouth wide. _Happiness is only short lived,_ she thinks.

* * *

><p>Author Note: Thank you for reading and possibly reviewing. I don't know if you readers know so I'm going to tell you. I put 'FYI' things on my profile. That's where I tell you if I've edited or anything. Please check it out. Thank you again.<p> 


	33. Jade I

Jade I

The ground crunches under Anna's feet. Looking down she finds snow. It doesn't really snow in her country, only in the mountains. Some days, it was cold enough that you could see your breath and frost covered the windows. She liked those mornings as the sun peered over the ocean and shined through the frost, casting rainbows over the sill. On very rare cold days it may snow but it wouldn't last very long. Her country is known for its rainy seasons and extendied farming seasons, not its winters.

She hears Kurogane growl to her right. He curses at the snow and cold, calling it a pain. Anna's eyes fall on the princess who is looking at it with curious eyes. The princess is wearing Fai's long, furry coat. The coat is much too big for her.

"Look!" calls Mokona from Fai's head. It points to a pub across from them. There is a road in front of the pub. There is nothing else around the pub. Anna looks down the road to see the lights of a town farther down the road.

"Well," says Fai. "There's no point in standing out in the cold." He starts to walk and the others follow.

Anna breathes on her cold hands. She can see her breath. The princess walks next to her. The princess is looking down at her feet, watching her steps as to not trip over Fai's coat. "That coat is pretty big on you," she smiles.

Sakura looks up at her and smiles. "Yes," she says. She rubs the furry cuffs of the sleeves on her face. "But very warm." Anna smiles back.

Surprisingly, Kurogane holds the door open for them. Anna is the last to enter before he follows in. She thanks him and he mumbles under his breath. Heads turn to look at them. Their stares piss off Kurogane and upset Anna. Yawning, she tries her best to ignore them.

"We're being stared at," coos Fai as he walks to an empty table. Anna takes the seat between Fai and the princess.

"Our clothes don't really fit in," says Syaoran. "That's probably it."

Anna nods, leaning on the table. She looks around at the people. The women are dressed in long dresses, some with aprons. The men wear trousers with tucked in shirts and ties around their necks. Their clothes remind her of the clothes back home. The men's clothes are closer to what the men wore back home. The women on the other hand, their clothes are much simpler here. The dresses of Rojus are of a much more complex design, whether you were a noble or a commoner.

A lady walks up to the table, nervous. "Good evening," she stammers. She hands Fai and Syaoran a menu, what Anna believes to be a menu anyway. She asks if they would like anything. Fai answers that they'd like some drinks and names off a few things from the menu. The lady nods, taking the menus back. She walks away then.

"Umm, Fai-san?" says Syaoran, leaning in closer. "We don't have any money."

Fai grins. "Don't worry about it. We'll be fine."

Anna yawns again. She closes her eyes for a moment. She rests her head in her hand leaning on the table. She hears Kurogane mumble something angry under his breath. She hears Fai laugh and Syaoran apologizes.

The scent of cinnamon fills her nose. Her eyes open slowly. Her breath is taken away at what is before her. She is at her desk, her father's desk, a pile of paper and several open books scattered over it. She runs her hands over the pages, takes a piece of paper in her hand. She looks it over. The mining town of Landcaster is requesting a grant for new equipment to mine their crystal caves.

She sets the piece of paper down, finding a cup of tea. Reaching for it she finds a silver bangle on her left hand. "What's this?" she whispers.

"Lile!" a sweet voice calls from the hall. The double doors gap open slightly. The young lady pokes her head into the room, a smile on her deep red lips. Her eyes shine a silver color. A lock of her bright red hair falls into her face. She ignores it and skips into the room, the curls of her hair bouncing.

"Odette," Odile groans. "What are you doing here? You should be in class!"

Odette stops in front of the desk. She smiles. "I wanted to see my cute little sister," she says, hands behind her back.

Odile smiles to herself but picks up another piece of paper. "I'm very busy," she says. "I don't have time for idle chat."

Odette snatches the paper from her and leans over the desk; a crooked smile and a twisted look in her eyes. A look not suited for such a fun and kind person such as Odette. "Well," says a male voice coming from her lips, "I think you should make time, you cold hearted bitch!"

This takes Odile back, shock on her face. "Rothbart," she says under her breath.

"That's right!" Odette's arm reaches into the air, blood tracing down her frail arm. She clutches a piece of broken glass in her hand. The man laughs.

"NO!" screams Odile, reaching for her sister. Glass pierces Odette in her middle. A scream of Odette's sweet and kind voice fills the air. Everything goes black as Odette falls to the floor.

Anna's eyes snap out. She gasps for air, holding her hand over her mouth. A chill runs up her spine and her knees feel as if they're shaking. She reaches under the table to find that they are. She can feel eyes on her. She looks to find the princess looking up at her, worried.

"Are you all right, Anna-san?" she says.

It takes a moment but Anna tells her that she's all right. There is another pair of eyes she can feel on her but she doesn't turn around. She knows that it's him, the man in black who can see through a person.

"You look shaken, Anna-chan," says Fai.

Anna smiles at him and shakes her head. "I fell asleep is all," she explains. She looks away from him and down at the table. "It was just a bad dream," she whispers.

There is a moment of quiet till Kurogane starts yelling at Mokona. Mokona had taken some of his meal. Anna didn't notice that they had gotten their food. She's not very hungry anyway. Her stomach feels uneasy and she feels uncomfortable. She wishes that she were alone. She wants to get up from the table and walk outside and stand in the snow for a long period of time. She couldn't even if she wanted to. She's afraid that if she tried to stand now, she'd fall on her way out.

There is a throbbing in her head as well. She doesn't let it show.

Fai, the princess, and the boy stand from the table. Fai tells Anna and Kurogane that they're going to a gambling table over in the corner. Kurogane moans and continues to eat. Anna nods her head. She watches them walk away.

She looks across the table to see Kurogane glaring and Mokona. Mokona sits very still on the table next to Fai's seat. Fai had told it not to move in order to not draw unwanted attention. It has been very good in sitting there. It smiles and looks very happy, and full. Anna chuckles.

Kurogane grabs his cup. "You need to eat something," he orders. He takes a drink.

Anna looks up at him, not in the mood to pretend that she's fine and not hungry. She picks up a fork and pokes at a piece of cooked meat. "Who died and made you queen?" she says, indifferent and tired.

"Tsk," he goes and takes a bite of a bread roll.

Anna nibbles on the piece of meat. Kurogane growls and takes her wrist in his grip. He pushes the fork into her mouth, not with too much force, but enough that she couldn't fight back. He slams the empty fork onto the table and looks down at his plate. He yells at the unmoving Mokona again. He then looks to where the princess is and glares towards them.

Anna sits still, dumbfounded, chewing slowly. The meat is tender and smoky. She swallows and finds her tongue to be dry. She takes a drink from the cup in front of her. She sets her hands in her lap, still not hungry. She can feel Kurogane glaring at her. She makes a point to not look at him. She not sure what's wrong with her. Back at the cabin, she ate just fine. Well, maybe not a well as she should've.

Fai returns with the princess and Syaoran. They take their seats. A short round man with a mustache walks over to the table with a pitcher. He compliments Sakura on her game playing and refills the cups. He asks if they're travelers and points out how strange their clothes are. Fai replies to him by saying that they are searching for something that has taken them a long way.

"And your next destination?" he asks.

"We're not sure yet," answers Syaoran.

"Then I have some good advice for you! Don't go north. There's a town in the north with a frightening legend connected to it."

"What legend is that?" presses Syaoran.

The man tells them that long ago in a castle, just outside the northern town, there was a beautiful princess with golden hair. One day, a bird with a feather in its beak flew down to the princess and gave her the feather. The bird then said to her that the feather is power, a strange and wonderful power. The princess took the feather. Soon after this, the king and queen died and the castle passed to the princess. With that, the children of the castle's town began to disappear one by one, as if the feather drew them. The children never returned.

Fai calls the story a fairy tale. The man shakes his head, saying that it's all true.

"So the northern town and the castle really exist?" asks Syaoran.

The man nods. He says that it has been more than 300 years since then and that the castle must be in ruins by now.

Fai leans against the back of his chair. "So nobody goes to the town anymore because it's so scary?" he smiles.

"No," says the man. "It's because children have started to disappear again."

_Missing children, a golden haired princess, _Anna thinks. _A magic feather. Maybe we won't be here too long. _The thought gives her some relief. She traces a finger over the bracelet the witch gave her. Then a thought creeps up on her. What will she do when she returns home? Will she return to her little cabin and the fruit farm? She wonders what the other pickers are thinking about her just disappearing. Her boss is probably upset with her. She probably can't return there. It'll be too much of a hassle to explain where she has been and what she has been doing.

She tries to remember something else the witch had told her. But she can't. She tells herself that it must not be important.


	34. Jade II

Jade II

Anna pulls at the bow gently. "Is it too tight?" she asks. The princess shakes her head, thanking Anna for her help. Anna smiles at her. "We should probably hurry. I'm sure the guys are already finished changing." The princess nods with a smile. The girl grabs a cap and wraps it around herself. She stumbles with the clap as she rubs sleep from her eyes. "Here," says Anna, reaching for the nap of Sakura's neck. She claps the rose pin of the cape.

"Thank you, Anna-san," says the princess.

"No problem." She smiles.

After they had eaten, the short round man referred them to a clothing shop in the town. It was dark out when they left but not too late. The shop would still be open, he told them. Fai paid the man for the food and drinks and then they headed to the town. Kurogane argued with Mokona about it eating his food. Anna walked with Mokona in her arms, which made the creature happy.

At the shop, an older woman asked them how she could be of service. Fai told her that they needed new clothes. The woman smiled and looked the group once over, pondering what to do next. She asked if they were travelers. Syaoran told her that they were. The woman nodded and called for a helper. Another older woman came from the back of the shop. The other woman helped the men find clothes on one side of the shop. The woman that greeted them helped Anna and Sakura find dresses on the other side.

Anna catches a glimpse of herself in the full-length mirror. The dress is violet in color with gold details. The skirt is pleaded in the back and reaches to the floor. The sleeves are tight but flare out on her forearms. The shoulders are puffy. The middle of the dress hugs her body and chest. The bodice pushes her breasts up as if she were wearing a corset. The dress has a turtleneck like collar with a men's style necktie. Anna asked the woman if it was possible to cover the swan. The woman smiled and found the dress that Anna is wearing now.

The princess's dress is a light pink with deeper pink details. A thick ribbon wraps around her waist. There is a large bow in the back.

Sakura hands Anna her cape and hat. Anna thanks her and wraps the cape around herself and carries the hat. They exit the changing room to find Kurogane and Syaoran waiting in the front of the shop for them. Kurogane is dressed in black with a white necktie. Syaoran wears a forest dress over coat. Mokona sits in Syaoran's arms, still unmoving like a stuffed animal. Anna asks where Fai went. Syaoran explains that he went to get a mode of transportation.

One of the older woman tell them that the shop is closing, but they're welcome to stand inside until their friend returns. Syaoran says that's all right, he doesn't want to impose. They leave the shop. Fai had already paid for the clothes. Kurogane carries a cloth sack that their original clothes are in. Anna puts on her hat and helps the princess pull up the hood of her cape. A minute or two passes before they hear Fai heading their way. He pulls three horses along with him. Anna claps her hands and praises him teasingly.

He grins widely. "Yay!" he coos. "Mommy-chan praised me!"

Mokona squeals with a laugh. Kurogane groans. Syaoran looks as if Fai said something wrong. Sakura looks confused.

Anna clears her throat with red creeping on her cheeks. "You only have three horses, though," she points out to Fai.

Fai shrugs. "These were the only ones I could find," he answers. Anna nods and walks over to the only black one. It was the closest one to her. She moves towards it slowly, putting her hands up. The horse pushes its large head into her hands. Anna smiles and pets its face. She was never much of a horseback rider, that was Odette's thing.

The other two horses are white. One of them has a brown star on its face. She watches as Syaoran and Sakura pet it. They smile at each other. She smiles to herself and turns back to the horse. Kurogane walks up next to her and sets a hand on the horse's mane.

"I bet this one is for you, Mr. Dark and Glumy," she whispers to him. She sees his eyebrow twitch but he doesn't say anything. Anna smiles up at him and he looks away. She opens her mouth to say something but holds her tongue. It's better to let it be.

Fai pets the white horse. His clothes are white with light blue and gold details. Unlike the other two men, he wears a cape and a hat. He smiles at Syaoran. "A feather that is powerful and wonderful," he says. "That certainly sounds like Sakura-chan's feather to me." They all agree to head north, though Kurogane groans about the whole thing.

Syaoran helps Sakura up onto the horse. Anna yawns. Fai extends his hand to her, bowing slightly. He smiles up at her. Anna smiles back at him and takes his hand. She hears Kurogane give a tsk noise from behind her as he mounts the black horse.

Fai helps Anna onto the horse sidesaddle. He hoists himself up behind her. They head out of town, towards the north.


	35. Jade III

Jade III

The road they travel is bordered by sleeping trees. When Anna was little, she went to the royal manor in the mountains with her parents and older sister. The trees didn't have their leaves and she didn't understand this. She asked if the trees were dead. Her mother had bent down next to her with a beautiful smile. She wrapped her arms around her daughter and told her that they were only sleeping. The trees sleep in the mountains in the winter season. In the spring, they will wake up.

Though, if she can remember right, they weren't as creepy as this. The naked trees reach up into the sky above them like claws scratching the frozen air. The moon shines brightly through the thick clouds, casting just as creepy shadows. The air is cold and still.

"This is a good place for a horror story," Anna says out loud.

Fai leans forward. "Are you scared, Anna-chan?" he smiles.

Anna chuckles and shakes her head. Turning her head around, she smiles at him. "It just reminds me of the storybooks I used to read back home," she confesses.

"You like to read?"

She nods her head. "Storybooks are my favorite." He smiles at her, ready to say something, but is cut off.

Kurogane groans. "It's getting colder, isn't it?" he complains.

Fai nods. He says it looks like it's going to snow. Anna hears Syaoran ask the princess if she is all right. She says that she is, that the clothes are very warm.

"Oh! That's right!" exclaims Fai. "Your country is in the middle of the desert, isn't it, Sakura-chan?"

"Yes," she answers. "But the desert at night can be very cold."

Fai looks at Anna. He asks what her country is like. It takes Anna a moment but she answers that it doesn't snow there, only in the mountains. There is spring, summer, and rain.

Fai leans over, almost falling off the horse, towards Kurogane. "And your country, Kuro Kuro?"

Kurogane grits his teeth, annoyed but answers. "Nihon is a country with four seasons," he says. "It's cold in the winter and hot in the summer."

Mokona pops out of Fai's shirt. _So that's where you were,_ she thinks. Mokona asks what Fai's country is like. He explains that it is very cold, even colder then where they are now.

"What about you Syaoran?" Anna asks.

"My father brought me along to many different countries," he says with a smile.

The princess smiles. "So you're used to cold countries and hot countries!" The boy nods his head.

Fai asks Anna to tell him more about her country. She looks away from him, ahead down the road. She spots something. "That's a story for another time," she tells him and points to the tall object head. "Look." They all look to see a tall sign to the entrance of a town. The lettering on the sign is familiar but she still can't read it.

Standing under the sign, the boy looks up at it, studying it. He says, "It says 'Spirit.' At least, that's what I think it says."

"You can read it?" exclaims Fai with a wide smile. The princess claps her hands, praising Syaoran. Anna smiles at him.

"Hey!" calls Kurogane. "This isn't the time for cheerful conversation." Anna follows his gaze. He is looking to the town. Figures stand at their windows and stare at the group. Even so, they move forward into the town. The buildings are no taller than three stories. They're made of tan and white bricks with dark wood panels and beams. The rooftops are covered in snow. Smoke rises from majority of the chimneys. The windows are closed, blinds pulled shut. People peek through the blinds, staring of them.

Fai giggles. "I have the strangest feeling that we aren't really welcome here," he says. He straightens himself on the horse.

"It's not a feeling!" barks Kurogane. "They don't want us here."

They pass a small child standing outside a house. The girl holds a stuffed cat in her arms. Syaoran, on his horse with the princess, stops in front of her. The girl looks up at them, confused. Syaoran greets her with a smile. He begins to ask her a question. A woman runs out of the house and grabs the child. She scolds her for being outside when she was told that she could not. The woman slams the door behind them.

"It must be the story we heard back at the pub," explains Fai.

Anna nods. "We're strangers to them," she says. "Even if we wanted to confirm the story, the townspeople won't talk to us," she adds.

The look on Syaoran's face is one of concern and disappointment.

The horses are startled and back into each other. Men armed with rifles run out from nowhere. They surround the travelers, pointing the guns at them. Syaoran shields the princess and Fai shields Anna.

"WHO ARE YOU PEOPLE?" one of them screams. Anna singles him out of the crowd. He is nothing special, just an average man with an angry look on his face.

Syaoran is the one to speak up. He tells the man that they are wanderers. They travel from town to town investigating old legends and buildings.

"What do you do with this 'investigation'?"

"We're going to write a book," he answers simply.

Kurogane looks dumbfound, startled. Fai smiles and Anna chuckles, amused.

The man questions this. Syaoran explains that it is Fai who is writing the book. Fai then tells the man that it's all true. He tells them that Sakura is his little sister, Syaoran is his assistant, and Kurogane is the hired help. Fai wraps his arms around Anna's waist and introduces her as his wife. This startles Anna and makes her uncomfortable. She freezes in his arms. She looks to the side, a light pink on her cheeks. She catches eye contact with Kurogane who seems more pissed off than normal. He looks away and she looks to the ground.

"Wait," says the average man, looking at Anna. She looks at him, indifferent and upset with this whole situation. "Are you—You're Odile von Rothbart!"

This grabs everyone's attention, even the other town's men. They begin to mumble, looking at Anna. Anna is stunned and can't say anything. The words are hard to digest.

"After your infidelity, how dare you return here!" the man screams.

The words sink into her, a twisted grin grows across her face. She begins to laugh, taking everyone aback. She puts her hand over her mouth to contain her laughter. She chokes out that she is not this "Odile von Rothbart." The mere idea of it is disgusting to her, but she doesn't tell them this. She tells them that her name is Anna.

The man begins to say something but is cut off.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" someone yells. The armed men turn to face the one that yelled. The man runs through the crowd and stands in front of the travelers, prepared to defend them. "Don't point guns at innocent travelers!" he tells them.

The average man looks away from Anna and at the man. "They're outsiders—"

"It's precisely because they are outsiders that your guns are so rude!"

The average man points his gun at Anna. "Well, she's not an outsider! She's that filthy woman that ran away from her marriage!"

The man turns to face them. His eyes land on Anna and he freezes. "Mrs. Rothbart?"

Anna shakes her head, angry now. She clenches her hands together, trying to stay calm. Fai notices and leans forward, resting his head on Anna's shoulder. She tenses. "There has been a mistake," he says. "This is Anna, my wife. Everyone thinks she's someone else." Anna takes a deep breath, a frown on her face. She whispers to him that it's all right, not to press the matter. Fai only smiles in return. Anna can't read him. All she knows is that he is much better at pretending than she is.

The man nods his head, clearing his throat. "I see. My deepest apologizes, Miss. You look so much like someone from this town that left only a little while ago." He shakes his head again. "No matter." A pause. "Please forgive us, travelers." He opens his arms and smiles at them. "I welcome you to the town of Spirit."


	36. Jade IV

Jade IV

The house is large and spacious, warm by the fireplace. Anna and Kurogane stand near it, Kurogane leaning against the mantelpiece. This house is that of the man who stood up for them. The man is about Fai's height and just as thin. His hair is dark and pulled back in a ponytail. He also wears little round glasses on his face. His name is Kyle Rondart, the town doctor.

A shiver runs up her spine and her fingers ache from the cold of her skin. Anna takes a sip of the tea he gave them. It doesn't seem to matter which world she's in. She's still not a big fan of tea.

Syaoran thanks the doctor for putting them up. The doctor tells him to think nothing of it. His home used to be an inn so he has more rooms than he can possibly use. The doctor looks to Anna. "I'm very sorry about the misunderstanding from before, Mrs. Anna," he says. "Jeffery is a very close friend to Ivan. I—"

Anna doesn't look at him. "It doesn't matter." This is a lie. She feels sick. The Odile from this world married the Ivan von Rothbart from this world. The thought disturbs her. She and that Odile are two different people, yes; they are only the same on the most basic level. They were raised differently and under different circumstances. She understands that this might mean that this world's Odile didn't grow to hate Rothbart.

Thoughts run through Anna's mind. Ideas and theories intertwine together, only forming confusion, ruining previous theories and ideas. She shakes her head, trying to cast the thoughts away. There's no need to read too much into it. Why should she? Rothbart means nothing to her. He is nothing more than the worm under her feet that's not even worth crushing. She can't allow thoughts that involve him to get under her skin. Besides, the one she knows is supposed to be dead.

"Jeffery was the man that pointed a gun at my sweetheart, then?" asks Fai.

The doctor nods.

Kurogane looks to Anna as the boy and Fai talk with the doctor. Anna can feel his eyes on her but continues to look at the floor. A short moment passes and she sighs. She looks up at him and he looks back. She looks at him indifferently and annoyed. She sticks her tongue out at him. He groans and looks away. Anna smiles to herself and looks to the cup in her hands.

She looks down at her sister's wedding ring. It's customary that the man give the woman an engagement ring. These rings usually have a stone or stones and elaborate designs. It's meant for her to show off so the world knows that she is to be married. At the wedding ceremony, the bride and groom exchange wedding bands, simple bands of metal, no stones or designs. These are the rings the married couple will wear every day, telling the world they belong together. The wife will wear her engagement ring only on special occasions. The engagement ring acts as a safety net in case the marriage goes south. She can sell it and the money is hers. The ring Anna wears was the engagement ring. She remembers going out with Siegfried to pick it out.

Anna thinks of the image of him and her sister, laying side by side, gold rings on their left hands. Looking at the engagement ring, she thinks that she should move it to the proper finger, in order to keep up appearances. She's not sure what the custom is here but it wouldn't hurt. She'll move it back after they leave. With a sigh of annoyance, she sets the teacup on the mantel and moves the ring to the proper finger of her left hand; the finger between the middle one and the littlest one.

The door slams open then. An angry, important looking man stumps into the house. He yells at the doctor, "Are you insane, taking strangers into your home at a time like this?" An old man stumbles in from behind him. He pleads with the important man to calm himself. "How can you be calm in this situation, Mr. Mayor? We haven't found a single one of the children!"

"Exactly why I took them in!" says the doctor. He explains that the strangers investigate legends throughout the lands. "They may be able to help us!"

The man walks further into the room, a wooden walking stick in his one hand. "A bunch of good-for-nothing travelers from God knows where… What could they possibly know?" he screams.

"They could know things that none of us do."

"After all that has happened, whatever they know…" The face of the important man is grave. "It's too late!" The man stumps towards the door. He stops short and faces them again, looking at Anna. Anna holds her breath, trying to keep herself in check. She notices Kurogane turning to face her, tense.

"You resemble that woman greatly," he says.

"So I have heard," she says. She smiles, bowing her head. "But I can assure you that I'm not who everyone thinks I am."

The man nods and stomps out of the house.

The old man stammers in his speech. He apologizes to Anna and tells the doctor to not let the travelers out at night. Then he also takes his leave.

The doctor closes the door behind them. He apologizes about what just happened. He explains that the old man was the Mayor and the other man was Mr. Grosum. Mr. Grosum owns most of the land in the area.

"No wonder he seemed all important," Anna scoffs under her breath. Kurogane chuckles under his. Anna smiles then faces the doctor. "We've come at a terrible time for you, haven't we?" Anna says with a weak smile. The doctor looks at her and nods his head. "In the last town we were in, we heard of the Legend of the Golden Haired Princess. That's what's happening here, isn't it, even though the legend is a fairy tale."

Dr. Kyle sighs. "I, too, assumed it was a mere fairy tale, like the ones we always hear. But I never thought children would actually begin to disappear." He tells of how the town put in every effort possible into searching for them. They didn't find a single one of the children. About 20 children are missing now.

"That many…" the princess says, holding a hand to her mouth. She herself is a child.

"Tsk. That explains why they threatened us on the spot," says Kurogane.

"Please! I don't care how trivial the knowledge seems to be," pleads the doctor. "If you know anything that may help us find the children, please tell us!"

Syaoran frowns and shakes his head. "We don't know anything yet," he says.

Disappointed, the doctor says, "Is that so?"

"But we'll do anything we can to help."

Dr. Kyle smiles with a sigh. "Yes, that would be most helpful." There is a moment of silence.

Against her better judgment, she sighs, ready to ask a question. "Dr. Kyle?" she says.

He looks to her. "Yes, Mrs. Anna?"

"I know this is off topic but it has been bothering me." A sigh. "This woman everyone thinks I am, Odile von Rothbart, may I ask who she is exactly?"

"You think that's wise, darling?" asks Fai.

Anna ignores the name and says, "I'd like to know who everyone thinks I am and what kind of insults will be thrown at me." Fai giggles but nods. Moving on, she says, "Please, what can you tell me, Dr. Kyle?" She smiles at him.

The doctor nods. "I haven't been here for too long myself, but I met her just before she left." A pause. "Odile was a quiet woman, and quite beautiful in fact." He smiles, looking at Anna. She hears Kurogane groan and Fai giggle. "She worked as a seamstress and was very well liked by the people of the town. Her parents died when she was still a child. She married Ivan von Rothbart when she was a young lady." His face grows grave. "I was told their wedding was a happy occasion but shortly after the honeymoon, things between them grew tense and unhappy."

"So she found another man and left him?" explains Kurogane.

The doctor nods. "Those are the rumors. Either way, Ivan was devastated. He loved her more than anything. He's quite heartbroken." A pause. "Jeffery is his best friend. I hope you can understand his feelings." He smiles meekly.

Anna nods. "Did Odile have any other family, besides her parents?" As soon as she asks the question, she regrets it. Kurogane and Fai look at her, alarmed. But, either way, she needs to know. She just needs an answer then she'll drop it, forget about it, won't bring it up.

The doctor nods. "She had an older sister." He frowns. "She died of illness shortly after Odile was wed."

The words hit Anna like a wave of ice water. A shiver runs up her spine. She loses her breath and stumbles a little. The only one who notices is Kurogane. Anna squeezes her arms around herself and closes her eyes. _The world, the universe, is so cruel, _she thinks. Either way, Odette died, probably around the same age. Plus, a wedding was involved. Anna doesn't ask any more questions. She thanks the doctor with a smile, pretending that she's all right.

He nods, looking out the window. "It is already late. It's best to rest now. Please, allow me to take you to your rooms." He looks to Fai than to Anna, than back to Fai. The doctor smiles. "Would the couple like to share a room?" Fai looks to Anna with a dumb grin.

Anna smiles back mockingly and says, "A separate room would be best."

"Ah!" says the princess. Her words are timid. She holds her hands to her chest as she asks, "Would you share a room with me, Anna-san? If it's not too much trouble?"

Anna smiles at the princess and nods her head. "Of course, Ms. Sakura." The princess smiles, happy.


	37. Jade V

Jade V

The travel companions stand outside the two rooms the doctor led them to. The men would share one and the princess and Anna in the other. Mokona said it would sleep with the princess, who now holds the white creature.

Fai and Syaoran share words. Anna looks out the window, her mind blank. She's trying to ignore any and all uneasy feelings she's having. She watches the town's people, including the doctor, walking about the town in search of the children. Dr. Kyle told them to stay in the house, not to leave under any circumstance.

"These poor people," whispers Anna. Kurogane leans in close, looking out the window. From the corner of her eye, she looks up at him. The clothes of this world are very different from what he normally wore from his world. Even so, these clothes, similar to that of her world, suit him very well. The others look nice in the clothes as well, but Kurogane looks unexpectedly handsome in them. The thought causes Anna to jump a little and inch away from him, embarrassed.

"Hey," he says to her, still looking out the window. "Are you all right with what the doc said?"

This takes Anna by surprise. She nods. "Yes."

He looks at her now. "I meant about the sister." The look in his eyes makes her look away. It's like he's looking through her. No. That's not it. It's like he's looking at her, really looking at her, seeing everything that she's trying so hard to hide,

Anna's mouth hangs open for a moment; she wants to say, "That's Hitsuzen for you. It doesn't seem to change regardless of which world you're in," but she doesn't. She smiles up at him, her eyes closed. She tells him that she's fine, there's nothing to worry about. A tear forms at the corner of her eye. Kurogane's face shows surprise. Anna doesn't say anything. She looks away from him and wipes it away.

The princess makes a comment about wishing she could help the townspeople. The boy tries to reassure her that they will do what they can, but the princess begins to fall over. He catches her. The princess is fast asleep.

Fai giggles and opens the door to one of the bedrooms. "I imagine her highness could use some rest," he says. Syaoran carries the princess into the room.

Anna lets out a yawn and mumbles under her breath. "We should follow her example," she teases, heading to the bedroom.

The boy leaves the room and stops by Anna. "Thank you, Anna-san," he says with a smile. "For staying with Princess Sakura tonight, I mean."

Anna smiles back. "It's not a problem." A pause. "I'm here to help you, Syaoran." She slaps her hands on either side of the boy's face. He yelps, surprised. Anna pinches his cheeks and pulls them. Before he can protest, she lets go and he grabs his face, completely confused. Anna smiles at him. "Please don't forget that."

"Y-Yes!" he says, bowing his head. Fai chuckles. Kurogane smirks, shaking his head.

Anna frowns and sighs. "You're much too polite," she tells him, shaking her hand through his hair. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, Wifey-chan!" coos Fai. Anna ignores him. Kurogane grumbles.

"Goodnight, Anna-san!" says Syaoran.

Anna then heads into the room, closing the door behind her. The princess and Mokona are on the bed to the right of the room. She heads to the bed on the left. She pulls her hair out of the ponytail and lets it falls over her shoulders. It's a little longer than it was when this journey all started. She undoes the tie around her neck.

Sitting on the edge of the bed, she falls back, an arm draped over her forehead. It doesn't take long for the darkness of sleep to creep up on her.

"_Odette!" calls Odile. "Come look at this!" The young girl leans against a window, peering out of it. The older girl runs over. _

"_What is it, Lile?" She pushes herself right up to Odile to see out the window. The girl lets out a gasp in amazement and a smile forms on her face. "It's snowing!" The two girls look at each other and begin to laugh._

"_What's so funny, you two?" asks a man from behind. _

"_Look, Father!" says Odette. _

"_It's snowing!" completes Odile. _

_The man smiles handsomely and kneels down by his daughters. He wraps his arms around them and looks out the window. Even kneeling, he is still so much taller than they are. His hair is red, like theirs. Mother's hair is black and very curly. Father's is wavy, not curly. They got the red color and the waviness from Father. Odile's hair is a little curlier than Odette's but neither has hair as curly as their mother. Their mother probably styles her hair to be so curly, but it's probably kind of curly naturally._

_They look up at him and point out of the window. He sighs and says, "If only it would stay till morning! Then we could play in it!"_

"_What?" cries Odile. "Why can't we play in it now? Before it goes away?"_

_The man shakes his head. "You know your mother would never allow it. It's cold and dark outside!"_

_Odette pouts her lip and puts her hands on her hips. "That's not fair!"_

_The man ruffles his hand through her hair. The girl protests but giggles. "Life isn't fair, Odette," he says, gravely. _

_Odile pinches his father's cheek. He yelps and looks at her with a smile and a chuckle. Odile winks. "Mommy doesn't need to find out!" she whispers, putting a finger to her lips. _

"_Ooh. Aren't you the naughty one!"_

_The three of them duck behind corners, hide behind curtains, and tip toe to the kitchen and out into the courtyard. The air is cold and sends shivers up their spines. They can see their breath as they run around through the falling snow. The girls circle each other and laugh and smile. They kick up the light piles of snow, sending packs of snowflakes in to the air like white dust. They run around their father who laughs with them. He spins around and Odette jumps onto him, causing him to fall over. Odile jumps onto them. The man wraps his arms around them and they roll around. They seem to have forgotten that they were doing this in secret. _

_The snow tickles their noses. They lay on their backs, breathless. _

"_Hope the three of you are having fun," calls a woman. _

"_Uh-oh!" says Father turning over to stand. The girls look up to a balcony to see their mother, tall and beautiful with her big, black, curly hair. "We've been discovered!" _

_Mother smiles down at them, leaning on the railing. "Come in before you catch a fever!" she orders, a laugh in her voice. The man grabs the girls around the waist and throws them over his shoulders. The girls laugh and protest. _

"Anna-san, Anna-san!" calls the princess. Anna slowly opens her eyes, finding the princess leaning over her and Mokona on her chest. She sits up, tears running down her cheeks. This surprises Anna. She wipes them away, avoiding the princess's gaze.

She smiles at her. "I'm all right," she says.

"Anna-san…"

"But you're crying!" says Mokona, worried.

Anna looks down at it and rests her hand on its head. "I'm okay. It was a happy dream."

"So they're tears of happiness?" asks the princess.

It takes her a moment but Anna says, "Yes. It's something like that."

The princess smiles weakly. "That's good. I thought it was another bad dream."

Anna looks to her lap then towards the window, it's still dark out. She looks to the princess. "Why are you awake? Oh, no! Did I wake you?"

Sakura shakes her head. "No. I woke up on my own. But…" Her gaze drifts and is full of confusion.

"Did something happen?"

She looks towards the window. "I saw a woman in a flowing white dress and golden hair. She was walking through the town with black birds following her."

This takes Anna off guard. "The Golden Haired Princess?"

She nods, looking to her lap. Anna brushes her hand against the girl's cheek. The girl flinches from her touch. Anna pulls away, sadness lacing her gaze. She tells Sakura not to worry about it right now, that was probably a dream of some kind. They'll tell the others in the morning. The princess agrees and walks back to her bed. Mokona sits in Anna's lap.

The princess crawls under the blanket, facing away from her. _She saw the princess, huh? _she thinks. She tries to wrap her mind around it but can't.

Anna remains sitting on the bed, unable to bring herself to lie down again. She looks down at Mokona who looks up at her. She smiles at it. "You should go back to sleep, too," she says.

"You're sad," it says.

This takes Anna aback. She doesn't say anything.

"You smile and say things are all right but really, you're sad, Anna-chan. You're really sad."

Anna smiles weakly and nods her head. She decides not to hide from the creature. The thing can see through her anyway. "I am sad, yes," she tells it. "I'm sorry if I worried you." The creature's ears flop and it looks down, sad. She pokes it in the belly, causing it to look up at her. "Please don't worry about me, Mokona. I pretend I'm fine so I don't worry others." She sighs, irritated. "It worked before… You're very sharp, Mokona." She puts her finger to her lips. "Can we keep this conversation between us, please?"

It smiles up at her. "Just between you and Mokona!" it coos. Anna pats it on its head. Sooner or later, she'll have to come to terms with everything. She knows this. She knows she can't ignore everything for too much longer. Even so, she pushes the thoughts to the back of her mind and locks them away.


	38. Jade VI

Jade VI

Anna pokes her head into the hallway. She finds the others leaving their room. She pulls the door closed behind her. Mokona is in her arms. "Morning," she calls to them as they walk towards her.

"Morning, wifey-chan!" coos Fai.

Anna smiles at him, her eyebrow twitching, and her eyes closed. "Morning, dear husband of mine," she says with extreme sarcasm. This whole wife thing bothers her. She never really thought about marriage before. She worked so much and did nearly everything by herself. There was very little to no time for her to socialize out of pleasure and not business. Men tried to court her, of course, but the relations didn't last long and didn't go anywhere. Odette always told her to make time for such things but she never found a reason too. She would tell Odette that when she met the right man that she would. That never happened.

Fai pouts his lips. "Ah! Wifey-chan is mad at me!"

"I thought she was 'mommy-chan'!" complains Mokona.

Kurogane groans. "Enough with the weird names already! Just call her by her name!"

Fai pokes him in the cheek. Mokona giggles and Kurogane yells. "You should call her by her name too, Kurger Burger!"

"Who said I didn't? And the names Kurogane!"

"I haven't heard you say her name this whole trip!" Fai looks disappointed.

Anna thinks this over for a moment. Fai's right. She can't recall Kurogane ever saying her name. She's not sure why, but it bothers her. She shakes her head and looks to the boy. She smiles, "Good morning, Syaoran"

"Good morning, Anna-san," says Syaoran. "How's the princess?"

"Still asleep." The boy nods his head, saddened. Anna flicks him in the forehead. He looks at her, surprised. "She's fine." She smiles. "I'll get her."

"Ah! You don't—"

Anna puts a hand up, telling him to stop talking. She walks back into the bedroom, closing the door behind her. She pulls her hair back into a ponytail and replaces the tie around her neck. She sits on the edge of the bed, looking down at the sleeping princess. "It seems almost cruel to wake her," she tells Mokona.

"Yep!" it sings. "She looks so peaceful!"

Anna sighs and puts her hand on the girl's shoulder, calling her name softly. "It's time to wake up, Princess," she says.

The girl's green eyes open slowly. "Anna-san…"

She smiles. "Sorry to wake you but it's morning."

The girl nods, smiling. She sits up slowly. Anna looks to the window. "The snow piled up over night," she tells her. The princess looks to the window. Anna stands and says that the others are waiting out in the hall.

"Oh! I'm sorry!" she says, rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"Oh, no. There's no reason for you to be sorry." Anna smiles at her and extends a hand. The princess takes it in order to stand from the bed. Mokona jumps into the girl's arms. Anna heads for the door.

"Umm, Anna-san?"

She turns around. "Yes, Ms. Sakura?"

The girl shakes her head. "Never mind, it's nothing."

Anna doesn't press the matter. She nods and opens the door. The princess exits the room before her.

The others greet the princess good morning, only Kurogane grumbles, annoyed with life. Fai complains about Anna pulling her hair back, that she looks nice with it down. She thanks him for the compliment but says she prefers it up. Her eyes fall on Kurogane and he looks back at her. She smiles at him. "Good morning, Kurogane."

He groans. "You already said 'morning'," he grumbles.

"I know." She continues to smile stupidly, channeling her inner Fai. "I'm giving you an opportunity to say it back."

He groans, looking away from her. He mumbles something under his breath.

"Oh, co—" She's cut off.

"MY CHILD!" a woman screams from outside.

The travelers look out the window. A woman runs through the town, a cat stuffed animal in her arms. It's the woman from before, when they first got to the town. The cat was in the arms of a little girl. That little girl must be the one that she's screaming about. They head outside, forgetting their capes and coats.

The woman yells that she's looked everywhere but can't find her. The woman explains that she locked the house up tight last night. She talks to the average man from before; Jeffery is his name. He accuses that someone must have broke in. The woman says that the door was opened from inside. "I told her over and over that she mustn't touch the lock at night, so I don't think she did it herself!" cries the woman. "It must have been the Golden Haired Princess!"

Sakura gasps. "Then that wasn't a dream…" she whispers.

The average man hears her and runs to her. Syaoran steps in front of Sakura. "WHAT DOES SHE MEAN BY 'THAT'?" the average man screams. He glares at Syaoran. Syaoran stares back, unmoving, protecting the princess.

Anna steps in between the boy and the man. The man steps back a bit, looking at Anna. "There is no need to scream at them," she says, calm.

The princess explains that she saw the Golden Haired Princess in the streets last night. The atmosphere grows grave and terrifying. The town's people gasp and scream. They yell that the princess is kidnapping the children, that this is the curse of the princess.

"WILL YOU PEOPLE GROW UP!" screams a man. The voice is that of the important man from the night before. He looks around and calls for the doctor. The doctor steps out of the crowd, out of breath.

"Yes?" Dr. Kyle says.

"Last night," says the important man, "Did these outsiders ever leave their rooms?"

The doctor says that they did not. He explains that his room is by the front door. He may need to leave at any time, day or night, for emergency calls. If the travelers left, he would've known.

The old man, the mayor, pushes the people to start searching for the child. The townspeople follow his instructions. The average man doesn't move and continues to glare at Anna. She looks up at him, unwavering in her unconcerned stare.

"Why did you come back?" he hisses. "You're not welcome here."

She glares at him now. "We already went over this," she says. "I'm not her."

"ENOUGH OF YOUR LIES!"

She frowns, greatly irritated. "You're too loud."

Dr. Kyle puts his hand on Jeffery's shoulder. "Please, clam yourself!" he exclaims.

Jeffery shakes off his hand. He shoots a glare towards Anna and stumps off.

"Are you all right, Mrs. Anna?" gasps the doctor.

She nods. "Yes, I'm fine." The princess grabs Anna wrist. She looks down at her with a smile. The princess smiles up at her.

Fai wraps his arms around Anna's shoulders. Anna sighs and smiles up at him. _He's all bark and no bite, _she tells herself. Then the thought hits her. Why hasn't she seen Rothbart yet? She asks the doctor where he is, shaking Fai off of her. He pouts his lip but complies.

"Ah, he's traveling right now," he answers.

"Traveling? At a time like this?" questions Fai, standing next to Anna.

The doctor nods. "He owns an antique shop. He travels to sell and collect inventory."

Anna nods, relieved. _He's not here, _she thinks. She was worried about running into him, she wasn't sure how she would react. This Rothbart is different from the one she knows. Even so, she's not sure if she could clam herself seeing his face, seeing the face of the man she hates the most. She curses herself for even caring.

The doctor speaks, ending Anna's train of thought. "Shall we go back to my house?" he offers. "We can have breakfast."

They head to the house. Fai teases Kurogane on how he uses a fork and knife.

"Shut up!" screams Kurogane. "You can't use chopsticks, now can you?"

Anna chuckles, following. Knowing that Rothbart isn't here, well, it feels like a weight was lifted from her shoulders.


	39. Jade VII

Jade VII

Anna nibbles on a slice of toast with berry jam. The travelers sit at a dining table. Dr. Kyle and Fai sit at the heads of the table. Sakura and Syaoran sit next to each other on one side. Anna sits next to Kurogane on the other side. Fai is to her right. The doctor questions the sleepy princess about seeing the Golden Haired Princess.

Anna watches as Kurogane has difficulty using a spoon. She never noticed before. Soup drips down from the corner of his mouth. He tries to lick it away but fails. Anna smirks and picks up her napkin. She wipes the soup away. This startles him and he looks to Anna. The others didn't seem to notice. Anna merely smiles back at him and sets the napkin down.

"To the people of the town of Spirit, that legend is a fact," says the Doctor.

"You're saying a historical fact?" questions Syaoran.

Dr. Kyle explains that Jade has good written histories. "300 years ago, the Golden Haired Princess actually existed. She was the Princess Emerald. And her parents suddenly died." After that, the children from the castle's town went missing, one by one.

"Is what happened to the children also written?" asks the boy.

"It says, 'no parents were ever able to hold their children in their laps again'."

"Hmmm," groans Kurogane, fork in his mouth. "Meaning that none of them came back alive, huh?" He leans forward on the table.

"That's depressing," mumbles Anna.

The doctor explains that the castle is in ruins now, but other than that, the conditions from now and then is very similar.

"No wonder the townspeople think they're reliving the legend," says Anna, leaning back in her chair.

"Who else in town has seen the Golden Haired Princess?" asks Syaoran.

"No one," answer Dr. Kyle. He looks to Sakura. "You're the first. And I'm sure Mr. Grosum will have something to say about that."

"Sakura-chan may be the very first witness, then, hmmm?" say Fai.

A moment passes. Anna looks around. Now that she thinks about it, she hasn't seen Mokona for a while. The creature must be close by since she can understand everyone.

"Is it possible for me to read this history of the country of Jade?" Syaoran asks the doctor.

The doctor thinks for a moment. "I believe that the Mayor has a copy with it. Mr. Grosum has one as well."

"Do you think the Mayor will let us borrow it?"

He nods. "Yes, I'm sure he will."

They finish eating before they head out. Anna helps Sakura into her cape. She notices Kurogane screaming at his. Mokona is messing with him like always. Maybe Mokona was with him the whole time and she just didn't notice.

"Thank you, Anna-san," says the princess.

"You're welcome, Ms. Sakura," she says.

Kurogane crushes Anna's hat on her head, softly. "Here," he mumbles. He hands her her cape too.

Anna straights the hat on her head and takes the cape. "Thank you," she says. She wraps it around herself.

Fai reaches and clips it for her. "Let me get that for you, sweetie pie," he coos. "We have to keep up appearances remember?"

Anna avoids his gaze. She coughs. "We should get going," she says. Fai smiles with a nod.

They head out the front door, following the directions the doctor gave them to the mayor's house. The streets are empty. Looking around, Anna sees one person from the corner of her eye but they duck behind a building.

Fai asks the boy why he wants to see the history book, if it is just a hobby of his. Syaoran explains that there is something that he wants to check out.

They stop in front of the large, single family home. Fai marches up to the front door. "Well, it looks like we're here!" He rings the bell that hangs from the door.

A moment or two passes before a woman opens the door. "H-Hello?"

Fai says, "Please forgive the intrusion. Might this be the house of the Mayor?" He takes off his hat and gives a little bow.

The woman turns around. The old man stands behind her. He looks surprised. "You're the travelers staying with Dr. Kyle?"

"Yes."

"W-What can I do for you?"

Fai explains that they would like to ask a few questions of him. And see his history book, of course. The Mayor nods and gestures for them to enter the house. He whispers to the woman before leading them to a front room with a chair, couch, and table. Fai and the princess sit on the couch as the Mayor sits in the chair. Syaoran stands to the side of the couch, near the princess. Anna and Kurogane stand behind the couch.

"This makes twenty-one children!" he exclaims, resting his head in his hands.

"And there are no clues at all to the disappearances?" asks Anna.

"No clue was ever left behind. Not this time either." He explains that in the last few years, the climate has been unpredictable, leading to a series of bad crop seasons. People were already upset and on guard when the children started disappearing.

"When did the first child disappear?" asks Syaoran.

Anna looks to Kurogane from the corner of her eye. He looks more irritated than he normally is. Leaning back a little, she sees something squirming around in his coat. It's Mokona. Anna stifles a laugh.

"Two months ago," the old man answers. "Early one morning, a boy went out to pick berries and he never came back. After that, one would vanish… then three at one time… The adults would warn the children again and again that they should never go outside at night or walk off with anyone they don't know… But they vanish with no sign of a struggle. And only children disappear." The woman enters then. She gives a book to the Mayor. He thanks her and she leaves. He goes on to say that the book gives a more detailed explanation of the events 300 years ago with the Princess Emerald then he could give. Syaoran is the one to take it from him. "I have read it several times," he adds, "I cannot find anything there that can help with our present troubles." A pause. "I suggest you read it then leave this town as soon as you can, before an event occurs that cannot be undone!"

Fai and Sakura stand from the couch. "Thank you very much for your help," says Syaoran. "However, we have things that we must do."

They leave the house then. "So what now?" asks Fai.

"We go to the castle," answers Syaoran, flipping through the book.

"I suggest we take the horses, then. We don't know how far it is from here."

Anna breathes on her hands. She nods in agreement. She watches Syaoran flip through the pages of the book. She asks him if he can read it.

He nods. "More or less," he says.

They head back to the doctor's house. Their horses are housed in the stables behind it. It was a part of the inn.

The doctor isn't there when they get there. They think nothing of it and head to the stables, Syaoran reading the book the whole way. Without looking up, he steps over tree roots and moves out of the way of several people that pass. He was unfazed, totally engrossed in the book. It was a sight to behold. It amused Anna greatly.

They return to their horses. The princess with the boy. Anna with Fai and Kurogane on his own. Mokona still hides in his clothes though. They head out towards the castle. Syaoran leads the way.

"Quit squirming around in my clothes!" Kurogane screams.

Mokona peaks its head out from his coat. "Kurogane looks so bored, Mokona is nice enough to tickle him!" it says with a giggle in its voice.

Anna chuckles. Kurogane glares at her. She smiles at him. Kurogane groans and looks the other way. Then he yelps as Mokona head-butts him in the back.

Syaoran speaks then, causing the conversation to end. He points down a path, saying the castle is that way.

* * *

><p>Author Note: Thank you for reading and possibly reviewing. I'm hope you're enjoying my story; I know I'm enjoying writing it. Sorry if things between Anna and Kurogane seem to be moving pretty slow. Neither of them seem the type to just jump into a relationship so I'm making things move rather slow, but things are moving. Things will get a little... well, I don't think "steamy" is the right word, but things will get a bit interesting between them starting in Oto country, I promise.<p>

Thank you again for reading. Please review.


	40. Jade VIII

Jade VIII

The castle is in ruins. It's of a much different design from the castles in Anna's world. It reminds her of older castles, however, in the ancient times of her country. This castle, the Northern Castle, seems small and in a square shape with two towers. It was made of stone and now crumbles from years of neglect. A rushing river runs between them and the castle. There is no way to cross it. If there was a bridge, it's gone now.

"How are you supposed to cross it?" asks Anna, not really expecting an answer.

"Kurogane will wade across?" questions Mokona, peeking out of the neck of Kurogane's shirt.

"Impossible," Kurogane answers. "Especially if someone had kids with him."

Syaoran looks at the book. "It seems the river was here 300 years ago, too," he says.

Fai puts his arms up and his hand over his eyes, like it'll help him see. "So how did they get to the castle?" he asks.

"It looks like there was a bridge here before. Aside from that, I don't see another way."

"Then we have to assume that there is no way to get the children to the castle," sighs Anna. "Mokona," she says, looking to the creature. "Do you feel anything?"

The creature thinks for a moment. Then shakes its head. "No, Mokona doesn't feel anything," it says, disappointed with its self. Anna smiles at it and smiles back.

They decide to head back to the town. There is nothing more they can do. On the way back to the town, they spot another horse and rider heading for the castle. They stop and pull to the side. The rider doesn't notice them.

"It's Mr. Grosum," whispers Fai. Anna nods.

"What do you think he's doing here?" asks Kurogane.

"It looks like he's heading to the castle," says Anna. "There's nothing there, though."

"Just a castle I ruins."

They return to the town. The townspeople slowly walk through the town, depressed. The woman with the cat stuffed animal walks past, two other women with her, consoling her.

"They still haven't found the child, have they?" asks the princess.

Anna spots the doctor talking with a woman and child. The child is a girl holding a rabbit stuffed animal. The travelers stop and dismount their horses. Anna tells Fai to go ahead. He nods with a smile and walks towards the doctor with Syaoran and Sakura. She is getting annoyed with him and this husband and wife act.

Anna waits a moment before getting off the horse. She stumbles a bit and nearly falls. To her surprise, Kurogane catches her, with one arm around her waist. She looks up at him, astonished. She steadies herself using his arm. She can feel the blood rush to her face. She looks to the ground. "Thank you," she says under her breath.

"Don't mention it," he says.

She looks up at him then. He looks down at her. She's not sure what she was expecting, but she smiles at him. He looks away.

"Kurger Burger is so nice!" whispers Mokona from his coat.

"Shut up!" he yells in a whisper. Anna chuckles. She looks to see Fai, Syaoran, and the princess talking with the doctor. "Tsk," goes Kurogane. He crosses his arms across his chest. "There's one thing I don't get," he says.

"And what's that?" Anna asks.

"Everyone says you look like this Odile woman, though your name is Anna. You asked if this woman had a sister. When I asked you about it, you started crying." He looks at her now. "Then there's this Rothbart guy. You act like you know him. The only conclusion I come to is that you're not who you say you are."

Shock shows its self across her face. She doesn't look at him. She bites her lip. He's figured it out. Anna knew this could happen. He pointed out Fai and Syaoran's characters back in the Hanshin Republic. What made her think that he wouldn't point out her character? She knew this could happen; she just ignored it till now.

"So I'm right," he says.

"Did you ever think that my sister could be my twin? Maybe I am who I say I am but they think I'm her." This is all half hearted. She knows he won't buy it. He's probably thought all this over already.

He doesn't say anything. He knows he's right.

Mokona sits on his shoulder, sad. Anna can only guess that it too knows that she isn't who she says she is. Anna grits her teeth and looks to the others. Has Fai or Syaoran noticed? Has the princess? No, not the princess. Fai maybe. Syaoran probably hasn't.

"You must have your reasons," he adds.

"You expect me to tell them to you?"

"No. I don't care."

"If you don't care, then why did you bring it up?"

Before he can answer, Fai skips over to them. "What are you two chatting about?" He throws his arms around Anna's shoulders.

She pushes him off. "Not in public, honey," she says as sweetly as she can. But she's extremely irritated.

"What's the matter, Anna-chan?" he asks.

"I'm just worried about the children, is all." It's a half lie. She is worried about them but what truly is bothering her is Kurogane.

Fai smiles and nods.

They head back to Dr. Kyle's house.


	41. Jade IX

Jade IX

The princess had fallen asleep at the dinner table. Anna now tucks her in for bed. The others and Mokona are in the other room. She sits at the edge of her bed, her mind empty. She doesn't know what to think about.

Kurogane has started to figure her out. Fai is getting on her nerves with this whole married couple thing. Rothbart is somewhere in this world and may return to this town while they're still here. The doctor didn't say it but she knows that it is possible. The fact that she's actually worried about running into such a little man greatly upsets her. She wants to ignore all these feelings, all these thoughts but is finding it more difficult than before. Why is this happening?

With a sigh she drops her head into her hands. The silver bangle jingles. Looking at it she says, "How much longer? What I'm I good for anyway?" She pulls at it, wishing it to break. It doesn't. She can't even pull it off her wrist. Her hands drop in her lap. She looks to the princess, fast asleep. Being as quiet as she can, Anna heads for the door. She's not tired; her mind won't quit thinking so sleep is impossible. Not that she wants to sleep. She'll find nightmares there. She needs to do something else. She needs to get her mind off of her troubles. Then again, does she really want to see Kurogane?

She stops with her hand on the doorknob. She's not supposed to leave her room. She frowns and turns the knob. She'll take whatever anyone has to say about it. She can't stay seated in silence. Before, back at the cabin, silence was fine. There was nothing to worry about there, nothing to really think about. No one bothered her. They all believed her lies, her pretending. If they didn't none of them showed it.

Getting one last glance at the princess, she thinks about leaving a note for her, telling her where she'll be. But Sakura might not be able to read it. With some reluctance, she leaves the room and heads to the other one. The princess will be fine. She's fast asleep. _She'll understand,_ Anna tells herself.

"Mrs. Anna!" calls the doctor. Anna turns to find him running towards her.

"Ah, Dr. Kyle," she says with a smile. "I'm sorry I left my room. I was heading to be with the others."

He stops in front of her and smiles. "No, that's quite all right."

Anna notices something. His cheeks are flushed like he's been out in the cold for a long period of time. Or maybe he has a cold, a fever. She tilts her head to the side. "Are you all right, Doctor?"

He shakes his head. "We looked everywhere and didn't find a thing."

Anna nods her head. What kind of answer was she expecting? "Syaoran has been reading that book nonstop. I'm sure he'll find something useful in locating the children."

He smiles, hopeful. "Yes, I truly hope so."

Anna smiles. She moves a foot towards where the others are. Dr. Kyle offers to escort her there. She bows her head, accepting like she should, and they head to the room at the end of the hall. She knocks on the door and opens it slowly. "Hello?" she calls.

"Wifey-chan!" coos Fai, skipping over and opening the door the rest of the way for her.

She smiles, annoyed. She can't wait for this to all be over. Who knows how long that'll take though? They need to find the children, yes, but the feather is what they really need to find. They're looking for the children because the fairy tale spoke of a feather but what if they find the children and no feather? It would be another waste of time; beside the fact they'd find the children of course. It's just all so irritating.

The idea that she'd rather find the feather than the children makes her cringe in her own ice-cold skin. _Cold hearted bitch. _Those three little words echo through her mind over and over. It's almost cruel how accurate they can be.

"Anna-san!" exclaims Syaoran. "The princess—"

Anna puts up a hand, stopping his speech. "She's fine, fast asleep." A pause. "I was wondering if there is anything I can do to help."

Before the boy can answer, Fai grabs her wrist and twirls her into the room. He thanks the doctor for delivering her safe and sound. Dr. Kyle nods with a smile and takes his leave. Fai pulls Anna to take a seat next to Syaoran on one of the beds. Kurogane sits on the other, angry with Mokona for playing in his clothes all day. Fai crawls on the bed behind her, a dumb grin on his face.

From behind, Fai wraps his arms around her shoulders. "You're still so cold, wifey-chan!" he sings. "I'll warm you up!" 

"Don't even try!" barks Kurogane.

Anna looks to Kurogane, surprised. He glares more at Fai than at her.

"Kuro Kuro is angry with Fai!" Mokona sings. "I think he's jealous!"

"What's that you white pork bun?"

"Kuropi is jealous that Fai is married to Anna-chan!"

Fai lets out a laugh. "Is that true Kurger Burger?" he teases.

Kurogane yells at him to shut up, that they're talking nonsense.

Anna coughs then and shrugs Fai off of her. Looking at the boy, she finds him blushing. She can feel the blood race to her cheeks as well. She's very uncomfortable with this whole situation. She turns to face Fai; he sits up right next to her. "We're only pretending to be married," she says as calmly as she can.

He smiles with his eyes closed. "I know that."

She smiles with her eyes closed as well, mocking him. "Then let's keep the physical contact minimal, please." Fai nods. Mokona teases Kurogane about getting so angry. This pisses Kurogane off greatly. Anna smiles to herself, amused. Mokona really does know how to stir things up.

Looking to Syaoran, his cheeks still a little red, Anna leans over to get a better look at the text. Not to her surprise, she can't read it. She asks the boy what's written there. He tells her that it says a little about the reign of the Princess Emerald three hundred years ago. At that time, there was a dire situation where plants wouldn't grow. It was just terrible.

"Is there anything about the legendary bird and the feather it gave her?" Fai asks.

Syaoran shakes his head. "No. But the king and queen suddenly passing away and the children vanishing seems to be true."

"That means that the princess did kidnap them then, doesn't it?"

Syaoran closes the book. "I can't be for sure." He explains that written records and history books don't necessarily reflect what actually happened.

Anna chuckles at the thought.

"What's so funny?" growls Kurogane.

She shakes her head. "Nothing, really, I was just remembering something."

"And what would that be?" asks Fai.

"I don't think it has relevance."

"No," says the boy. He smiles. "Anything will help."

The look of determination on his face takes her aback. She nods, folding her arms across her chest. "I know that back home, sometimes records would be altered in order to maintain public opinion."

"People in your world did such things?" Kurogane snarls.

Anna smirks at him and shakes her head. "Yes, yes they did." Not her. The council.

"To maintain public opinion?" questions Syaoran.

"Yes. Sometimes something would happen that could have a greatly negative effect on the future. So they'd alter the records of the event. Or maybe there was something of the past that contradicted the present rulers, so they'd cross it out or alter it in some way, to fit them best. I found such flaws in the historical texts of my country." A pause, thinking of an example. She finds none that she's willing to discuss. She shrugs. Looking to the boy with a smile, she says, "See? It wasn't much help now, was it?" He looks down at the book. Anna pokes him in the cheek. "I'm sure you'll figure it out."

Mokona jumps on to Anna's lap then.

"Hey!" barks Kurogane. "Get back here!"

"Mommy-chan!" sings Mokona. "Save me!"

Kurogane stays seated on the bed across the room. He sits with his legs crossed and a pissed off look on his face. Anna smiles at him and he looks away.

Fai sits up next to her. "You know, Anna-chan, we don't know a lot about you," he says.

Anna looks at him, annoyed. "You know, Fai, we don't know a lot about you," she retorts.

He smiles. "I'm just wondering how you know things about politics, is all."

"I don't see why that matters."

He continues to smile stupidly. "Well," he points to himself, "We know I'm a wizard who can't really use his magic." He points to Mokona. "Mokona is Mokona." He points to Syaoran. "He has a strong interest in history and was an archeologist back in his country." He points Kurogane. "He was a warrior who's being scolded by his princess."

"Shut up!" Kurogane yells. "Tsk. Leave me out of this."

Fai points to Anna now. "What are you Anna-chan? What did you do when you were in your world?"

Anna looks away from him now. She's not prepared to answer the question. She's afraid to look up, at Kurogane.

"I'm a little curious myself, Anna-san," says Syaoran.

Anna looks to find him smiling at her. With a sigh she decides to give some form of an answer. "These last couple years I worked on a farm."

"What about before then?" presses Fai.

Anna yawns then. "That's a story for another time," she says. She just doesn't want to talk about before. She doesn't even want to think about it.


	42. Jade X

Jade X

The young woman follows the instructions of her instructor. She stands on the very tips of her toes, one arm extended in front of her, the other behind. She twirls around slowly, reaching her hand into the air. She flattens her feet and bows her arms down in front of her. She bends her knees out towards the side. She stands back up and turns. She reaches her leg out behind her. Bending over, her leg moves up towards the sky.

The instructor claps her hands. "Wonderful!" they say.

She moves the leg back to the ground. She stands on her tiptoes again and moves the other leg by bending her knee. She reaches her one arm out to her side and the other over her head. She twirls around.

The young woman continues to dance with grace and fluidity. The image of her red hair begins to fade to darkness.

Anna slowly opens her eyes, finding Mokona on her face. "Good morning, Anna-chan!" it coos.

It takes her a moment, but she smiles at the creature. She sits up and runs a hand through her bangs. Her hair is still in a ponytail and the tie is still around her neck. Looking around, she finds herself in the other room, the one the men were sleeping in.

"Good morning, "Wifey-chan," says Fai, taking Mokona from her lap. She rubs the sleep from her eyes. Fai explains that she fell asleep in here and that he couldn't bring himself to move her. She nods, not really caring one way or the other. She remembers Syaoran deciding to read the book again. Anna had him read it out loud to her. She remembers finding something out of the ordinary in the description of the Northern Castle.

Fai smiles. He extends a hand to Anna to help her from the bed. Passing on the offer, she gets up herself. Fai only smiles at her, eyes closed. She finds Syaoran and Kurogane standing by the door, Kurogane leaning against the frame, staring at her with a frown.

Anna sees her reflection in the glass of the window. The light tan of her skin has faded, returning her skin to pale. The dark rings under her eyes are still there. They'll probably always be there.

She looks from the window and smiles at the others. "Good morning," she says.

The boy smiles. "Good morning, Anna-san," he says.

She sighs. "I'm sorry I fell asleep in here."

"That's all right." Syaoran smiles.

"Perhaps we should get the princess," Anna suggests. Fai nods and heads to the door, leaving the room. Syaoran follows after. Anna heads for the door then and stops by Kurogane. She smiles up at him. "Good morning, Kurogane."

He grumbles, looking away from her. "Morning," he groans.

Anna smiles. "You make it sound painful."

"It's a pain in the ass."

"It's polite."

"I'm not polite."

Anna chuckles. "I guess not." Reaching up to his face, she grabs his cheek and pulls it. This causes him to look at her, pissed off. He grabs her wrist and she lets go. She tilts her head with a smile.

"SAKURA IS GONE!" screams Mokona.

Anna pulls her arm from Kurogane.

"I WANT THE OUTSIDERS DOWN HERE NOW!" screams someone else, from downstairs. Anna recognizes the voice to be the loud average man, Jeffery. She hears people run up the stairs.

"Stop a moment, please!" pleads the doctor.

The average man stops in front of them, exceedingly angry. "CHILDREN HAVE DISAPPEARED AGAIN!" he barks. "THIS TIME, SEVEN OF THEM!"

The doctor stops the man from running at them. Anna walks over to Syaoran and Fai. Getting a glance into the bedroom, she finds it empty, the window open. Kurogane walks up behind her, hunched over with his hands on his hips. This is how he normally stands.

Jeffery glares at Anna, trying to push his way pasted the doctor. "Out of the way, Dr. Kyle!"

"None of these people went out last night!" Dr. Kyle pleads.

"What about the last one? Where's the girl?"

"She's not in her room," says Syaoran.

Anna bites her lip. _The princess is missing, _she thinks.

The doctor looks to the boy. "What did you say?" He's knees seem to grow weak.

"She got out and you didn't notice, Doctor?" yells the average man.

"No! Not Ms. Sakura too!" stammers the doctor, unbelieving.

"NO! That girl might have taken the children away with her!" He pulls his rifle from his back and points it at Syaoran. "With her unbelievable story about seeing the Golden Haired Princess… She could have kidnapped the children using the legend as an excuse!"

Syaoran kicks the rifle out of his face. He sends it flying into the air. Kurogane moves quickly, catching it. The average man is on floor now, Kurogane on him, his boot digging into the man's back and shoulder. His other leg locks the other arm down. He holds the gun correctly and presses the barrel to the man's head. His other hand grips the man's head, holding it down. The look on Kurogane's face is almost frightening as he grins.

"A man who points a weapon should be prepared to die by one," he says, grinning.

Anna crosses her arms, greatly amused.

"Hyuuu!" sings Fai. "Kuro-sama, that was a thing of beauty."

The man struggles to get loose. Not that he can. "Let me go!" he yells. "Dammit!"

"We have nothing to do with the disappearance of your children," says Syaoran.

"Even if you say that," says Anna, walking up next to Kurogane, dropping her arms to her side. She looks down at the man. He looks up at her, angry. "I doubt they'll believe us."

"Of course we don't! Until we find our children, you guys are the most suspicious people around!"

Anna kneels down to get closer to him. Her eyes are like ice. The man flinches. She can see why this man and the Rothbart of Jade are close friends. The Rothbart here is the same as the one she knows, on a basic level. But Rothbart is a basic man. This man, Jeffery, is also a basic man, too small to even matter. They're prefect for each other. "I'm assuming that you don't have any other suspects to be suspicious of," she says.

The man grits his teeth.

The doctor answers, "No, we don't."

Anna's gaze never leaves Jeffery. "Then, am I right to assume that you're only blaming us because you have no one else to blame, since you can't find any evidence? Maybe it is because you don't want to point fingers at people you know? Or is it a little bit of both?" Before the man can talk, Anna puts a finger to her lips. "I'm not looking for an answer. Either way, you're using the strange outsiders as a patsy for your own incompetence." She stands then. Kurogane looks at her, a smirk and one raised eyebrow. Anna looks to Syaoran. The boy nods.

"We'll look for them," he says. "We'll find out where and why the children vanished." Syaoran clenches his hands into fists. "We'll find them and the most important person in my life."

Anna looks down at the man, smirking. He looks up at her, pissed off and uncomfortable. "Consider yourself lucky," she says. "Now your children will defiantly be found." She's not sure how she knows this, but seeing the boy just confirms such a thought. If Syaoran says that he'll do it, he will. He's just that kind of boy, from what Anna can tell. She's greatly amused. With a sigh, she smiles at the man and then at Kurogane. "I think it's safe to let him go now."

Kurogane smirks and stands, still holding the rifle. The average man stumbles away. "That was more like belittling than scolding. I've never met a woman with an attitude like yours."

"No, probably not." She chuckles under her breath.


	43. Jade XI

Jade XI

Dr. Kyle talks the townsmen, including Jeffery, into calming themselves. He shuffles them out, asking them to leave and look for the children. Jeffery shoots Anna one last glare before he leaves.

The travelers enter the room the princess was in. The window was left open so the room is freezing. Anna can see her breath. Syaoran grabs a blanket that was left on the windowsill. The blanket reaches out the window and into a tree. There is nothing really out of the ordinary. No sign of the princess.

"Sakura-chan left by window?" questions Fai.

"Perhaps she was taken by the Golden Haired Princess like the legend says," says Anna. She greatly doubts it though. _The princess really is gone, _she thinks. She bites her lip. She's worried, greatly. If she just sucked it up and stayed in the room…

"Or maybe she saw the one who was kidnapping the kids and went after them," poses Kurogane.

Anna looks to the boy. "Syaoran, do you believe that a princess from a three hundred year old legend kidnapped the children?"

"I can't say who did it yet," he answers. He explains that he had the opportunity to talk to Dr. Kyle. It seems that there aren't any people whom can use magic in this country.

"So the official verdict is that no one in this country can use anything like magic?" questions Fai.

Syaoran explains that the history book, beside the story of Princess Emerald, had nothing that involved unusual phenomena. Anna nods in agreement. Anna crosses her arms and sets a finger on her chin. She says, "Let's say that through some technique or some other phenomena, Princess Emerald was resurrected and the Golden Haired Princess came to a distance within the sight of the window…" She sighs. "That couldn't be it if there's no magic, though, right?" She looks to the wizard. He shrugs his shoulders, unsure. She looks to Mokona, who is on Kurogane's head. "Did you sense anything, Mokona?"

It shakes its head. "Mokona didn't sense anything last night," it explains.

"That's because you were fast asleep!" barks Kurogane. "Sleeping on my belly and snoring away!"

"Any really strong power would've woken Mokona!" Mokona jumps from Kurogane's head and Kurogane swats at the creature. Mokona teases Kurogane and continues to jump away from his attempts to hit it.

"So there's no magic," concludes Anna. "None whatsoever." _Then how did Ms. Sakura see the Golden Haired Princess? _she ponders.

"None of the locks on the doors were tampered with," adds Fai. "Children didn't struggle or make any sounds either. So who was the princess that Sakura-chan saw?"

Anna shrugs. "We're not going to find out standing here," she says. Syaoran nods and they decide to head out, see what they can find. Syaoran takes the history book with him.

They head down the stairs. They find the doctor packing his medical bag. He apologizes for the terrible way the townsmen treated them earlier.

"Think nothing of it!" says Fai. "I'm sure they're all sick with worry for their children."

"But now, even Ms. Sakura is missing."

Syaoran nods and asks, looking at the doctor's bag, "You have an appointment?"

"I thought I'd make rounds to the remaining children."

There are doctors in Anna's world. Doctors and Healers. Doctors at home mainly deal with the mental health of a person and the sick. Healers deal with physical wounds. The professions are kept separate but it's not an uncommon thing to find a Healer that has some training as a doctor. It's rarer to find a doctor with training as a Healer. With this said, Anna can only heal, she doesn't have any training as a doctor. Her mother trained as a doctor. She taught Anna simple medicines and treatments when she was younger. Anna doesn't remember much of what her mother taught her, she never had to use it so she didn't really retain the information.

Her father was a knight in the Royal Guard. That's how he met her mother, the Crown Princess. It's needless to say that Mother treated Father. He wanted no one else to nurse him to health, on the rare occasions that he fell ill. Her father would tell Anna of the times he refused a Healer so her Mother could treat him. Mother would sing to him while she treated him. Her voice was beautiful and full of emotion. Father says that he was bewitched by her from the start, everything about her, including her voice. Thankfully, Mother returned his feelings just as strong.

Anna wraps the cape around herself, thrusting the thoughts away.

"Where do you think you're going!" screams the average man.

"So loud," complains Anna under her breath.

Fai explains. "We're going to look for clues that might lead to where the missing children and my little sister might have gone," he says.

"Then I'm going with you!"

"And why is that?" Anna asks.

"If I let you go out alone, you could do anything without us knowing!"

Anna nods, understanding. "All right, but only if you stop yelling." He grits his teeth and glares at her. Anna looks to Syaoran and smiles. "You lead the way."

He nods and the starts to walk. They follow after, the average man walking beside the boy. Anna walks next to Fai and Kurogane walks behind them. Mokona messes around in Kurogane's clothes again.

Syaoran asks Jeffery about the crop failures from these past few years. The man says it took everything just to feed themselves.

"Mr. Grosum owns most of the land in town, correct?" asks Fai, smiling.

"What'd you do about the rent money?" questions Kurogane.

"He promised to wait for it! Dr. Kyle struck a bargain for us with Mr. Grosum. If the doctor hadn't spoken for us, we'd been forced out of town already!"

"Mr. Grosum should've given you leeway on your rent anyway, given the circumstances," comments Anna. Whether your crops grow or not is up to nature, not the planter. If the crops don't grow, the family has no income and would be unable to pay the rent let alone feed themselves. While Anna was on the throne, there wasn't any unsuccessful farming season so she didn't have to take such measures. However, food coupons were given to those with a very low or no income. No one was to go hungry in her kingdom.

"So that means that for these past few years," says Fai, "Mr. Grosum's earnings have been rather low as well."

They head for the road to the castle. The road is long and covered in a fresh layer of snow. There aren't any tracks from what Anna can see. Kurogane kneels down in the snow and looks it over. Anna stands next to him, looking over his shoulder. She breathes on her hands.

"You guys came on horses, didn't you?" growls Jeffery. "Why not ride them now?"

Anna looks at him. He stands farther back with Fai. "Dumbass," she says.

"Hey!"

She hears Kurogane snicker under his breath. Anna recalls the time in Hanshin. She had called him a dumbass too.

Fai tells Jeffery, "What my honey is trying to say is that it's a good thing we didn't. We'd have gotten away from you on horses."

Anna chuckles.

"It's no good," complains Kurogane. He looks up at Anna and explains that the snow that fell last night covered any tracks that might have come through.

Anna sighs, not surprised.

"You've already searched around the town, right?" Syaoran asks the man.

"OF COURSE WE DID!" he screams.

Fai covers his hands over his ears. "Awww! You're so loud!"

Kurogane grits his teeth and his eyebrow twitches. Anna leans over next to him and smirks. "He's a pain in the ass, right?" she teases.

"Tsk," he goes with a grin. He stands and looks down at Anna. "You're more of a pain in the ass than him."

She tilts her head to the side looking up at him in mock confusion. "What could you possibly mean by that?"

He groans and looks away with a twitch to his eyebrow. He's annoyed with her, she can tell. She doesn't care. It's amusing.

Anna faces the average man and points down the road. "Did you search the castle?" she asks. She already knows the answer.

"We searched right up to the front of it but with the river, we couldn't get across it," he explains, his voice still loud.

They continue to walk down the road. Syaoran and Fai walk farther ahead. Kurogane and the average man walk ahead of Anna.

"How can you guys be so calm?" yells the average man. "One of your group is missing, right?"

"If you're looking at the kid and saying he's clam, then you're as blind as a bat," says Kurogane.

Anna chuckles. The man looks back at her. "What's so funny?" He stops walking and Anna nearly walks into him. Kurogane stops walking too.

She complains about him being so loud. It really is beginning to wear on her nerves. She puts a finger to her lips. "You should try being a little more quiet. Yelling isn't going to help the situation."

The man grits his teeth, angry. He points a finger at her. "You have no right to talk like you do! You abandoned this town and hide behind a false name!"

This statement takes her by surprise. There's a pain in her chest. She ignores it and sighs. She says, "How many times do I have to tell you that I'm not who you think I am?"

"Until you admit that you're lying!"

"But I'm not." Really, she's not. She and the Odile of Jade are two entirely different people. She is the Odile of Rojus.

"You-"

"Hey, buddy," growls Kurogane. "Leave the lady alone."

The look on Kurogane's face shuts the man up.

A shiver runs up Anna's spine. She pushes her way past the two men and continues to walk down the road. She holds her skirt up a little to make it a bit easier. The men follow after.


	44. Jade XII

Jade XII

The travelers and the loud man head back to town. The man complains about how much time was wasted. Anna does her best to ignore him and the glares he sends her way.

"Ah!" exclaims Fai. "It's Grosum-san." He points to the entrance of the town.

"And the guy's dripping wet," points out Kurogane. Anna stands next to him.

"I bet he's cold," she comments, breathing on her hands. Fai giggles.

They stand beside a pair of trees, staying out of sight. Mr. Grosum walks into town with his horse, dripping wet and angry.

"But with no great amount of snow falling, how do you suppose he got so wet?" questions Fai.

Anna can only guess.

"Maybe he fell in the river in front of the castle," proposes Kurogane, crossing his arms. Anna nods in agreement.

"Since hearing that old legend, nobody from the village would go anywhere near the castle unless they had a really good reason!" barks Jeffery.

Fai grins and chuckles. "He must have had a really good reason then."

Syaoran nods in agreement. The man walks into town. He didn't notice the travelers watching him. Anna's mind wonders to the princess. She hopes that Sakura is all right. Anna's never been the type to worry. She did everything in a way that then there was nothing to worry about. She did everything herself and only passed work to those she held in great confidence. None of those people will be there if she returns to the palace. She shakes her head. There's no need to think about something like that. Uncle is taking good care of the kingdom in her place. There's nothing to worry about.

"Hey!" barks Kurogane, waving his hand in front of her face.

She looks up at him, confused. "What?"

He groans. "You spaced out."

"Oh Sorry."

Syaoran flips through the history book again. "There's one other thing I want to check on, he says.

Anna nods with a smile. "You lead the way," she says. The average man sends a glare her way. She ignores him.

They head back through the town; the Mayor's house is their destination.

When they get there, the same woman greets them at the door, still nervous. She leads them into the same front room and fetches the Mayor for them. Fai insists Anna sits next to him, and for appearances sake, she does. Her feet are a bit sore from walking such a long way. The castle was far on horses, walking there and back was quite a task. But she doesn't show it.

The Mayor enters the room, startled by their return. He offers apologizes for Sakura. Anna can tell that he actually means it. He takes a seat in the chair and asks what Fai wants of him now. Syaoran is the one to answer.

"Can you tell us which child vanished and when?" he says.

This takes the old man aback. "Why would you need to know that?"

"I want to know if these incidents were recorded."

"We don't have a police force in town!" barks the average man. "We gather ourselves together to protect the town when we need to! We anything happens, we report it to the Mayor!"

Anna's grits her teeth and closes her eyes, to clam herself. They're inside and still he's so loud.

The Mayor nods. He says the he did record everything from when the first child vanished. Syaoran ask if he can see it. The old man is a bit hesitant, so the boy tells him, "I have a feeling it's a clue that might help find the children." With this, the man agrees and leaves the room. He returns with a thin notebook and hands it to the boy.

"I wish you luck," the Mayor says. Syaoran thanks him and they take their leave. Syaoran begins to read it right away.

"DON'T YOU DARE LOSE THAT!" screams the average man at the boy. "IT'S THE TOWN'S ONLY RECORD!"

"Okay," he answers, walking down the stairs, over a pile of snow and through a gate. Then he trips on something and falls on his face.

Anna gasps but chuckles. _He's trying so hard, _she thinks.

"QUIT READING WHILE YOU'RE WALKING!" yells Jeffery.

Kurogane walks over to the boy. Anna stands by Fai and Jeffery. With one hand, Kurogane picks Syaoran up off the ground. Snow that covered him falls off. Anna hears him apologize and Kurogane say something. She's can't hear what he's saying exactly. It's probably something manly. The thought makes her chuckle.

They head through the town, Syaoran not reading the notebook. They're heading back to the doctors house, where he'll read it. He walks ahead of Anna. Kurogane and Jeffery walk ahead of them. Fai walks besides Anna. The boy stops and peers into an open window.

"Dr. Kyle seems very busy," he comments.

The average man turns around and faces the boy with a big grin. "This town never had a doctor until two years ago when he came!" he brags. "He doesn't just help the sick and wounded, he also watches after and plays with the kids. "He's a great doctor!" The man goes on and on bragging about the doctor. Anna is growing increasingly irritated. He's just so loud. But she holds her tongue and starts back down the road. The others follow, the man still bragging about how wonderful Dr. Kyle is. Kurogane grits his teeth, extremely annoyed. Anna's amazed that he hasn't snapped yet.

A chill runs through Anna's body. She breathes on her hands.

"It's quite chilly, isn't it?" asks Fai, smiling next to her.

She nods with a smile as they turn a corner. Someone walks into her then. She stumbles a little. Fai catches her and helps her stand again.

"Ah, I'm sorry!" says a man. Anna freezes at the sound. Without thinking, she looks up at him. His brown eyes look down at her. Her eyes widen in horror. His widen in surprise and a smile grows across his face. "Odile!" the man yells, cheerful.

"Ivan!" yells Jeffery.

Ivan throws his arms around Anna. She can't move. She can't react. She's frozen. She can feel her skin crawling and the heat running through her. There's a pounding in her head.

Before the others can react, the man pushes himself away from her, still griping her shoulders. He smiles ear to ear. His white hair is pulled back into a long braid down his back. His clothes are dark. This Rothbart looks no different than the Rothbart of Rojus.

"I knew you'd come back, Odile!" he exclaims. "I knew it!" He crushes his lips against hers then, pulling her in towards him. Anna cringles and snaps out of her stillness. She pushs him away, striking him in the nose with her fist. The man falls back onto the ground, gripping his nose. Blood streams down his face. The others are silent, dumbfounded.

"Ivan!" the average man calls out, rushing to Rothbart's side. He glares up at Anna but is silenced by her own glare.

She shakes out the hand that punched him, her knuckles sore. With the other hand, she wipes her mouth, disgusted and exceedingly angry. "Touch me again," she threatens, her voice laced with venom, her eyes filled with anger, "And I'll break more than your nose."

Fai opens his grinning mouth to say something, probably to calm her down. She glares at him as well, shutting him up. His smile falls and he looks at her with his eyes open.

"As my husband, you shouldn't have just stood there." She says this with not as much hate and disgust, but she's still livid nonetheless.

The average man helps Rothbart stop the bleeding from his nose. "How could you?" he screams. "You never should've come back here!"

"Quiet!" Anna barks. This startles the others; Fai, Syaoran, and Kurogane. Mokona hides its self in Kurogane's clothes. This is the first time they've heard Anna raise her voice. It startles Anna herself. It has been a while since she's yelled but at the moment, she couldn't care less. She's pissed off. She levels her voice, however, glaring at Jeffery. The man seems to shrink in his skin. "I'm only going to say this once more: I am not Odile von Rothbart." She doesn't add a threat. There's no need to. She finally made her point.

"There's no need to be so harsh, darling," says Fai with a smile, reaching for Anna's shoulder. She cringes away.

"Don't touch me," she says through her teeth. Her temples pound from anger. Rothbart is the only one that can make her so angry. She can ignore her angry feelings towards others, but not for Rothbart. This is one reason she hates him so much. He is such an insignificant man but somehow he can get under her skin. This pisses her off to no end.

Fai nods his head, sorry. He faces the men kneeling on the ground. Anna hears the snow crunch behind her and stop besides her. From the corner of her eye, she sees Syaoran. She grits her teeth and looks away from him. She closes her eyes, trying to calm herself. She can't be angry at the boy, he's done nothing wrong. Fai hasn't either, really, but he was the closest to her, he could've done something.

"I'm afraid I can't apologize for my wifey's actions," says Fai, smiling at Rothbart with his eyes closed. "That was very rude of you to kiss her."

"Wife?" questions Rothbart.

Fai nods and gestures towards Anna. "This is Anna, my wife."

It takes a moment for the words to sink in but he nods. He stands, unsteady. He holds his hand over his nose. He looks to Anna. She doesn't look at him, she's still trying to wipe away the revolting feeling on her lips. She catches eye contact with Syaoran. She looks away from him quickly, then catching eye contact with Kurogane. He stands with his arms crossed and an annoyed look on his face. Anna looks away from him and down at the ground. Now she's embarrassed at her behavior. She should've been able to control herself. Then again, why should she be embarrassed? Some man forced his tongue down her throat. She should be pissed off.

She warps her arms around herself and breathes slowly through her nose, still trying to calm the angry pounding in her temples.

Fai explains to the man that people have been mistaking Anna for Odile von Rothbart since they entered the town. He points out how rude Jeffery has been towards her. Rothbart apologizes for Jeffery's behavior and his own. "You should say that to Anna-chan, not me," says Fai.

Ivan looks to Anna and she glares back. She's still angry but not to the same extent as before. He apologizes to her, bowing deeply. Anna says nothing. There's no reason for her to accept his apology and she doesn't plan to. "You look so much like my Odile that I couldn't control myself," he explains. "But I can see that you're not her. My Odile wouldn't hurt a fly." He laughs.

Fai laughs with him. He says that they have things they need to attend to. "So, please excuse us," he says, offering a hand to Anna. With a sigh, she takes it and allows him to lead her away.


	45. Jade XIII

Jade XIII

Fai holds the door open for Anna. She walks in and is followed by the others. Dr. Kyle is still out making rounds to the children. No one said anything as they walked back to the house. They stay in the front of the house, where the fireplace is. Anna takes a seat on the couch with a sigh. She looks down at her hands in her lap. She's upset and uncomfortable. She can still feel him on her lips. It makes her want to vomit.

"Are you all right, Anna-san?" asks Syaoran, standing next to the couch.

Anna looks up at him and nods her head. Looking back at her hands, she says, "Yes. I'm fine."

Mokona jumps from Kurogane to Anna's head. "You're lying!" it complains.

Anna nods, not in the mood to argue. Fai leans on the back of the couch. "That was quite the scene back there," he grins.

"Let's not talk about it," Anna says. "There are more important things we need to go over."

"We shouldn't ignore what just happened."

Anna looks at him, eyes even, unconcerned and unwavering. "But we're going to." Fai nods and takes Mokona from Anna's head. Looking to the boy, Anna can see that he's a little confused but understanding. She smiles at him weakly. "So what now, Syaoran?" she asks.

He rubs his hand. It's scratched a little from when he fell in the snow. Anna opens her mouth to ask if she should heal it but he speaks first. "I want to see Dr. Kyle's medical records," he tells them.

"And how will you get those?" asks Fai.

"I have an idea." A pause. "I also want to see Mr. Grosum's copy of the history of Jade."

"You think he'll hand it over?" asks Kurogane.

The boy nods. "Yes."

Anna nods. "What do you think you'll find his version? The underground tunnels?"

"What underground tunnels?" questions Kurogane.

Anna turns in her seat to look at him. "The castle reminds me of the ancient castles back in my country. They usually had underground passage ways but the diagrams of the castles layout did mention anything about them." This is what was out of the ordinary to her. It could be that the writers of the book wanted to keep the passageways a secret, or maybe there just aren't any. Anna doubts this. And so does Syaoran. He believes pages have been removed.

Crossing his arms, Kurogane nods his head.

"So you want to see if Grosum-san's book talks about the underground tunnels," confirms Fai.

The boy nods.

They head for Mr. Grosum's house.


	46. Jade XIV

Jade XIV

Anna stands behind a tree near the river of the Northern Castle. The wind has picked up; snow is falling and blowing into her face. She pulls her cape around herself, trying to keep warm, though it doesn't really make a difference. She peers around the trunk of the tree and spots a child figure in a cape walking down the road, some sort of stuffed animal in their arms. The child walks to the edge of the river where a bridge once was.

She sees a tall figure in a dark cape walk down the road. _Syaoran was right, _Anna thinks. The figure walks up behind the child. A strong gust of wind passes by, knocking the child off their feet. This startles the black figure. They attempt to turn around, only they can't head back. Syaoran steps out from behind a tree.

"What's the matter, Dr. Kyle?" he asks, upset. The dark figure has their hood blown off their head, revealing the doctor.

He grips the hood, trying to keep it on his head. His face shows distress and concern. "I was worried for the child so I followed after!" he explains. "You said that everyone was watching Mr. Grosum, so..."

Mr. Grosum steps out from behind Syaoran. Anna stays hidden. Syaoran had growing suspicions on who was taking the children. He came to the conclusion that the doctor was doing it. Mr. Grosum was more than willing to let the boy read his history book. His version mentioned underground passages and waterways. Pages were removed from the Mayor's version. The only other person that read that copy was Dr. Kyle.

In order to trip the doctor into confessing, Syaoran made it seem that the town's men were going to watch Mr. Grosum, like he was the suspect, only he too is in on the plan.

Syaoran explains that Mr. Grosum isn't the criminal, the fact that he was wet before is proof of that.

"We looked everywhere and couldn't find the children," the important man says. "And I went time and time again the check the castle, but with the flow of the river, I could never cross. I tried to construct a device to cross, but..."

"In the process, you fell in the river," finishes Syaoran. "The one who did it knows an easier way to enter the castle."

The doctor looks heartbroken.

Syaoran holds up the record the Mayor kept of the children who vanished. Then he holds up the medical records kept by Dr. Kyle. Syaoran had done to the doctor to treat his hand. That's when he grabbed it. He explains that the days prior to each child's disappearance, Dr. Kyle made a series of house calls.

"The people of the town wanted me to visit! he protests. Such coincidental—"

"You asked the first child who disappeared to come by your office so that you could make a proper diagnosis. And after that, as children disappeared, you did a check up of the children, saying it was for everyone's peace of mind." A pause. "You use hypnosis therapy, don't you, doctor?" A pause. "I heard what the child you treated today said, 'A black bird,' but the sky the child pointed at was completely clear of birds."

This was when the average man was bragging about the doctor. Anna didn't notice.

Looking to the river, Anna notices the flow calming down. The others must've found the device.

Syaoran explains that Dr. Kyle planted a hypnotic suggestion in the child. On snowy nights when their tracks will be covered over, the children chase imaginary birds and vanish on their own.

"Then where have the children gone?" asks Dr. Kyle. Anna can't see his face.

"To the castle. You stopped the river and crossed it."

"How did it happen?" questions Mr. Grosum. "How did the river stop?"

Syaoran then holds up one of the history books. It's the one he borrowed from the Mayor. The boy explains that several of the pages are missing, but they were removed in such a way that no one would've noticed while reading. He holds up another history book. He has put the record books back in the bag on his shoulder. "This is the history book that Mr. Grosum owns. It contains all the pages," he says. With the hostility between the town's people and Mr. Grosum, Dr. Kyle assumed that the traveler wouldn't borrow his book. Syaoran explains that the missing pages refer to the underground sections of the castle. There is a large network of passageways and rooms dug in the area beneath the castle. The book also mentions underground waterways. "If there are waterways," says the boy, "Then one should be able to devise a way to divert water from the river."

Snow crunches from behind Anna. Turning to look, she sees the others; Kurogane, Fai, and the average man. Anna smiles at them.

"Well?" says Fai, loud enough that the boy, the important man, and the doctor can hear. "Did the water stop? We found the spot that Syaoran said would be there. It was hidden and incredibly old, but it still worked." He smiles widely as he walks closer to the boy. Anna walks with them, standing next to Kurogane. Fai explains that it was a machine that stops the river from flowing. And that there were signs that it was used recently.

"I image there is a similar device in the castle as well," says Syaoran.

The doctor bends over, hand on his face, shaking.

"DOCTOR!" screams the average man. "IT ISN'T TRUE, RIGHT? THEY SAY THAT YOU KIDNAPPED THE CHILDREN! SAY IT'S A LIE!"

Dr. Kyle begins to laugh. He laughs for a moment or two. This takes nearly everyone aback. Anna stands with her arms around herself. It reminds her how she used to laugh at Rothbart.

The doctor stops laughing. Standing up straight, he puts his hands on his hips, "That sure throws a wrench in my plans now, doesn't it?" he says, humor in his voice. "To have outsiders in and prove that kidnapped the children, when all I wanted was to take what I came for and leave!" He laughs again.

"Doctor!" yells the average man, unbelieving. He moves towards the doctor but the important man stops him.

"Was it really you who did this?" Mr. Grosum demands.

The doctor smirks. "There's something in the castle I want," he explains. "But it's in a place only a child can get to."

"You kidnapped the children just for that?"

" 'Just for that' you say? You can spout such idiotic words because you know nothing about me!" The doctor turns and runs for the castle.

"WAIT!"

With perfect timing, Mokona throws the powder onto the doctor's shoes.

The doctor runs across the river, giving the appearance that he's walking on top of the water.

"He's walking on the water?" yells Mr. Grosum.

"No, he's not," says Anna, walking towards the man. She points to the river. Syaoran runs rivers edge. "There's a rock path just beneath the surface," she explains. "With the rivers flow clam, you can cross." The footprints of the doctor's glow along the water's surface.

Anna explains that while Fai, Kurogane, and Jeffery went to find the device, she and Mokona took the glowing scale from the world with the fog and the lake and ground it into dust. Anna walks to where the child's cape lays on the ground. Mokona peeks its head out from under it, with a big grin on its face. Anna picks it up, along with the cape and stilts.

"Mokona!" coos Fai. "You played the child's part?"

"Yep!" it coos back. "It's one of Mokona's 108 Secret Techniques! Super Disguise!"

"Are we going after him?" asks Kurogane.

"Yes!" answers Syaoran. He heads across the river. Mr. Grosum and Jeffery follow.

Before heading off himself, Fai turns to face Anna, who isn't moving. "Are you coming, darling?" he smiles.

"No. I'll stay here," says Anna. "I'd only slow you down."

"Mokona's staying to!" the creature sings.

He nods and heads off, Kurogane behind him.

"I'll heal any wounds you when get back!" she calls after them.

Kurogane stops and turns to face her, gritting his teeth in annoyance. Fai stops a few feet in front of him. "Can't you be a little more positive about it?" barks Kurogane. Fai laughs.

Anna nods her head with a smile and says, "Then make sure you come back safely."

Kurogane groans and turns back towards the castle. Anna thinks that he probably make a comment about her being a pain in the ass. Fai smiles and waves to her and Mokona then heads off as well. They disappear into the castle.

"They'll be back, I know they will!" Mokona says, reassuring Anna. She looks down at the white creature in her arms and smiles at it. It smiles back.

"Yes. You're right." She looks to the castle. "They'll be fine. Syaoran will find Princess Sakura and bring her back safe and sound."

"The missing children too!" It smiles.

Anna smiles back. "The missing children too."

Moments of silence pass. Anna's not sure how long they've been waiting but she thinks that maybe it's been too long.

There's a cracking noise and a boom. It came from the castle. Mokona whimpers a little and Anna holds it tighter.

People begin to file out of the castle's front gate. Many children run out and over the water, joined by Fai, Kurogane, the average man, and the important man. Fai stops in front of her, a girl on his shoulders.

He smiles widely. "We're back!" he says. Kurogane grumbles and walks by him with two children on his shoulders.

The other children are shuffled to the mainland by Mr. Grosum and Jeffery.

Anna smiles to Fai, eyes closed. "Welcome back," she says. She's never been the type to worry but she was. She was worried for everyone's safety. She's not sure if she likes the feeling or not. Then she notices Syaoran bag over his shoulder. "Where are Syaoran and Ms. Sakura?"

"We got separated. He told us not to worry and that he and the princess would get out."

Anna nods.

Fai takes the child over to the others. Anna follows after. Mr. Grosum huddles the children together and wraps his large cape around them. Anna wraps the child's cape Mokona was using over one the children then removes her own. She drapes it over the children uncovered by his cape.

The river grows louder. The flow is beginning to quicken again. The loud average man points this out.

"If the river flows any faster, no one will be able to cross!" adds Mr. Grosum.

"Are you sure those two will come out?" questions the average man. Fai and Kurogane stand at the river's edge. Standing from the children, Anna walks to join them. They don't answer the man's question. She stands next to Fai, who kneels on the ground. Kurogane stands with his arms crossed. Anna's holds Mokona in her arms.

Silence passes as the river grows stronger.

"...There," says Kurogane, looking to the water. He reaches his arm down into the water and pulls Syaoran from the river, the princess in his arms.

"Phweet!" exclaims Fai. "You did it, didn't you, Syaoran-kun?" He smiles widely.

"What about the doctor?" asks Jeffery.

Syaoran shakes from the cold. "I don't know," he answers.

They all turn to the castle. "The fact he isn't chasing you..." says Fai.

The castle collapses. Shock crosses Anna's face but only for a moment. She collects herself. "...Means that he shared the same fate as the castle," says Anna, completing Fai's thought.

Looking down at the princess, Anna finds her folding a large piece of ice, what looks like to be ice anyway, with the feather in the center of it. The feather floats out of the ice and into the princess. She falls asleep then.

Fai removes his cape and wraps it around the princess. Kurogane removes his coat and drops it over the boy's shoulders. The boy looks up at him and thanks him. Kurogane mumbles and looks the other way.

"I think he said 'you're welcome'," says Anna.

"Tsk," goes Kurogane.

The boy looks to Fai and asks about the books. He tells them that they're fine.


	47. Jade XV

Jade XV

The children run into town, smiling and laughing, happy to be returning home. The town's people rejoice and embrace their children. Anna watches as they cry tears of joy from the window the doctor's inn. It turns out that Mr. Grosum owns the inn and rented it out lease-free to the doctor because he was a doctor. He also planned to wait on the rent until and good harvest. He kept these things to himself because of some old belief that telling people of your good deeds makes them bad, self-center deeds. The thought makes Anna smile.

"Everyone's all happy!" points out Mokona who sit on the windowsill.

"Yes, they are," Anna says. She spots Rothbart in the crowd. The man looks up at the window. He looks directly at Anna. A grin crosses his face and she looks away. Turning, she finds the princess lying in bed, in dry clothes. She's fast asleep. Anna gently sits on the edge of the bed. The others had explained to her what happened in the castle. Dr. Kyle tried to kill the princess because she had her feather. Then the princess spoke of the Princess Emerald as if she were talking to her.

Syaoran came back with a stab wound in his shoulder and a few scratches. Anna healed them for him, of course. The princess's feet were battered and bruised as well, so Anna healed her while she slept.

"It seems that Dr. Kyle didn't hurt the children," notices Fai.

"They were his laborers taken to dig out the feather," explains Kurogane, "He wouldn't injure his workers."

Anna moves her hand over the princess's face.

"Is something the matter?" asks Syaoran.

Anna shakes her head and removes her hand. "Just making sure the princess doesn't catch a fever," she tells him. She reaches a hand up to his face. This startles him but he doesn't move. "It would be a bad thing if you two catch a fever." She smiles at him. "But I'm sure you'll both be fine."

The boy smiles. "Thank you, Anna-san."

"You're very welcome." She looks down at the princess. "You said that Ms. Sakura saw the Princess Emerald in the castle. Dr. Kyle used hypnosis; do you think he used it on her?"

"No. It didn't look like he did."

"Then, the power of the feather?" asks Fai, looking to Mokona on his shoulder.

"If it was, Mokona would've known," the creature answers.

"It's possible that would Princess Sakura saw really was the Princess Emerald," explains Syaoran. He says that ever since she was young, she's been able see people who have passed away the same way others see the living. She's even been able to talk to them.

"Are all the people from her kingdom able to do that?" asks Anna.

"No. As far as I know, the ones who can are the princess and the High Priest."

"Did you see the Princess Emerald, Syaoran-kun?" asks Fai. The boy shakes his head. "Or you, Kuro-rin?"

"I don't see that kind of stuff," Kurogane answers.

Fai ponders this. He says that he doesn't have such powers either. "What about you, Anna-chan?"

Anna frowns at the thought. "No. She asks if Mokona can see spirits."

"Mokona doesn't see or sense spirits," says Mokona.

"Is that so," Anna smiles.

It shakes its head, smiling. "Mokona can't see spirits or ghosts. Only the black Mokona with the blue earring can do that!"

"I remember that one," says Kurogane. "The one that looks like a black pork bun can see spirits? So what good are you, you white pork bun?"

Mokona jumps at Kurogane. "Mokona is trying real hard! Mokona even played the child!" It jumps on Kurogane, pissing him off. Somehow, Mokona gets its hands on one of the stilts and whacks Kurogane with it. He then pills out a pillow and throws it at Mokona. Little feathers fly around the room and Anna sits on the bed, laughing, really laughing, and enjoying this scene. The other two laugh along. Anna shields her head from the feathers and the jumping Mokona. Kurogane is really angry. Fai teases Kurogane and only pisses him off more. Kurogane throws a pillow at him too.

"Hmmm..." Anna hears to her left. She looks and sees the princess open her eyes. Mokona jumps onto Anna's head then.

"Sakura's awake!" it coos. The others stop moving. The princess sits up, a concerned look on her face.

"Are you all right, Ms. Sakura?" asks Anna. Syaoran stands by the bed now, worried.

Still half asleep, the princess answers, "She said that someone's been constantly watching me?"

This takes everyone by surprise. "Who did?" asks Syaoran.

Sakura attempts to leave the bed but Anna stops her. The girl looks to Anna. "I have to see Princess Emerald one more time!"

Anna smiles at her and look to Syaoran. He nods with a smile. "All right," he says.

The ready to leave. They're not going to return the town after the leave. Syaoran leaves behind a note, confident that they'll be able to read it. The note thanks the Mayor and Mr. Grosum for loaning the history books. It also tells of the real story of the Golden Haired Princess. Sakura was the one that wanted to add this part. It's only right that the people of this country learn the truth of what happen three hundred years ago and start telling it.

The princess did not kidnap the child. A disease spread that only affected the children. So to protect them, the princess opened the doors of the castle to them. The power of the feather kept the children healthy. After the disease dissipated, the children were returned to the town. They were unable to sit in their parent's laps only because they were a little bigger.


	48. Jade XVI

Jade XVI

Princess Sakura stumbles through the snow, looking around frantically for the Princess Emerald. Anna looks across the river at the ruining of the castle. Bricks lay on top of bricks. The castle is completely flattened.

"No!" exclaims the princess. "I can't see Princess Emerald anywhere!"

"Before Yuko once said," says Mokona from Anna's arms, "When a ghost isn't restless anymore, it finally moves on."

"You mean onto the next world?" questions Kurogane.

"The Golden Haired Princess was probably the most restless over the missing children," says Anna. The princess looks to her, worried. Anna smiles to clam her. "Now that the children are safe, she's no longer restless, so she moved on."

The princess looks away with a nod. Anna walks to the princess's side. She bends over to get a better look at the princess's face. The princess blushes a little at how close Anna's face is to hers. "But that's not what you're worried about, right?"

"That someone is constantly watching," says Fai. "That's meant as a warning, right?"

"There's one other thing I don't understand," says Syaoran. "How did Dr. Kyle know that there was a feather hidden under the castle?"

"Didn't he read it in a book?" asks Kurogane.

Syaoran explains that he asked Mr. Grosum about that. He said that where the feather went after the Golden Haired Princess died isn't written in any book. It isn't an oral tradition either.

"So, perhaps as we travel along, someone is trying to interfere," proposes Fai with a smirk like a cat.

"The 'someone'," says Anna. Syaoran nods, frowning. Anna sighs and pats the boy's head. He looks up at her, confused. "Since we have the feather of Jade," she says with a smile, she looks down at Mokona, "Why don't we getting doing to the next country?" The white creature nods at her.

"Why so eager to leave, Anna-chan?" ask Fai.

She shrugs her shoulders. "I just don't see why we're still here, is all."

"It has to do with that Rothbart, huh?" pushes Fai.

"Drop it," she spits out.

Fai grins with his eyes closed. Anna catches Kurogane looking at her. She sticks her tongue out at him. His eyebrow twitches and he looks away.


	49. Oto I

Oto I

The colors of world travel fall away around her. Anna's feet aren't touching the ground and she stumbles a bit as she lands. Kurogane grabs her waist and steadies her. She thanks him and he looks away. She's not sure why but the fact he always looks away is starting to bother her. And then there's the fact she has been stumbling more. She was a ballet dancer. She may have been out of practice for two years but she still should have better balance then she does now.

Mokona falls onto Syaoran's head.

They all changed back into their normal clothes before heading off. Anna returned the ring back to her middle finger. Kurogane carries the cloth sack with the clothes from Jade in it. Syaoran said that they could be useful later on. He once said he traveled with his father a lot; this might be something he learned from him. That's what Anna thinks.

"What country are we in this time?" questions Fai.

Anna looks around to find a bustling town. No one seems alarmed at their arrival. Then, women run out from nowhere. They circle the ground with big smiles and throw flower petals in the air. They wear uniforms with short skirts.

"Welcome to the Country of Oto!" they say. One wraps their arms around each of the travelers. Fai laughs and smiles, enjoying himself. Kurogane just looks upset. The children aren't sure what to do with themselves. Mokoka giggles, loving the attention. Anna bites her lip and smiles. She's irritated now.

"Look at the odd costumes everyone is wearing!" says the one clinging to Fai.

"You came from a different world, didn't you?" says the one playing with Mokona and Syaoran.

This takes everyone by surprise. The princess gasps. Syaoran asks the question they all are thinking. "Other people have come to this world from other worlds?" he asks.

"Of course!" says the one clinging to Anna. "Everyone comes from near and far to enjoy the wonders of Oto!" The woman pushes her face against Anna's check. Anna's eyebrow twitches. The only person she allowed to ever get this close was Odette. And Fai, but she has to deal traveling with him for a while. She decided it'd be better not to upset him, though it looks as if he's not easy to upset.

"You haven't registered yet, have you?" asks the one on Syaoran.

He looks confused. They all look confused. "Register?" asks Anna.

"Oh, dear!" they exclaim. "You have to go to city hall immediately!"

The one on Anna pulls her hand. "We'll take you there!" the woman smiles.

"All right everyone!" says the one that was on the princess. "Let's go!"

"Let's go!" they all say at once.

"Okay!" says Fai and Mokona.

Anna's the only one getting pulled along. She tries to pull her hand away but fails.

The women lead them through the city. The buildings are made of stone. Cars and cable cars race through the streets. Anna only knows what these are from books and the Hanshin Republic. Looking at the signs, Anna comes the conclusion that it's a language similar to the Hanshin Republic. She can't read it, maybe Kurogane can though.

They come to a very big building of stone. _The city hall,_ Anna thinks. The women push them into a line and explain that the teller will be able to help them. Then the women skip off.

"Well, that was some welcome, huh?" giggles Fai.

"They were really nice!" coos Mokona.

Kurogane groans. Anna's just happy that the women are gone.

The princess rubs her eyes. "Are you sleepy, Princess?" asks Anna. She nods. Anna smiles and extends a hand to her. She points to an open bench. "How about we go sit down and leave this to them?" She points to the men. The princess nods and takes Anna's hand. Anna leads her over to an open bench. Kurogane follows them with a grumble. "You're not going to help them register?" Anna asks.

"I don't see why," he answers.

Anna nods, taking a seat with the princess. Mokona sits in the princess's lap. Sakura's head wobbles side to side as she fights sleep. _Poor girl, _Anna thinks then looks to Syaoran. _Poor boy. _

"Kuro-woof-woof!" calls Fai. "Please bring the bag over here!"

This pisses Kurogane off. "QUIT CALLING ME LIKE I'M KIND OF DOG!" he screams, startling the princess. But he complies and stumps over to Fai and Syaoran.

The princess bobs her head again, trying to stay awake. Anna opens her mouth to tell that she can sleep, but the men walk over to them before she can.

Fai smiles widely and hands Anna a piece of paper. She takes it and looks it over. She looks up at him, confused. "We have a place to stay," he explains. He adds that they were able to trade in the clothes from Jade for this world's currency, which allowed for them to buy a place the teller recommended.

Anna nods and stands. She helps the princess up. They head out and follow the directions on the piece of paper. As they head out, Sakura grabs Anna's hand, startling her. The princess rubs her eyes and uses Anna's hand to stay standing. She looks up at Anna and asks if it's all right if she holds her hand. "Of course," she answers. "But isn't it a bit cold?"

The princess shakes her head. "No, not really."

This that's Anna aback. "If you say so." She smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes.

It grows dark as they walk to their destination. They've left the city and are on the edge of it, now in a more residential area. They come to a short iron fence. Beyond it is a two-story house made of brick and wood. It looks very homey.

"This is the place?" asks Anna.

"Yep!" answer Fai. They head for the front door. Fai pulls out a key and unlocks it. They head in and Anna flips the lights on. The front of the house is like a large store front. The floor is tile and there's a bar. The only piece of furniture is a couch with a pillow and a blanket. Anna leads the princess to it and sits her down.

"Thank you, Anna-san," she mumbles, rubbing her eyes.

Anna smiles. "Here," she says, taking the pillow and setting it down in order for the princess to lie down. The princess is reluctant and Anna reaches for the girl's face and gently pulls her head down onto the pillow. Anna notices that the girl didn't flinch at her touch. Maybe it's because she's so tired. The princess lies down and closes her eyes. Grabbing the blanket from the end of the couch, she covers the princess.

Syaoran stands next to her, removing his cape. He smiles at Anna. "Her Highness really likes you," he says.

Anna crosses her arms over her chest, resting her elbows on her knees, and smiles. "You think so?" He nods his head. "It was a good idea to keep the clothes. Was that something you learned travelling with your father?"

"Yes. There are places where foreign clothes are valuable," he explains. Anna nods in agreement.

"Hey," says Kurogane. He stands by the windows behind the couch. "Maybe we shouldn't get so cozy. It's possible that we're being watched, remember?"

Syaoran nods and walks away from Anna, folding his cloak into a pillow.

"Ahhh!" complains Fai, falling over on the ground. He took off his coats as well. "I can't stay on the knife-edge forever! I need some time when I can relax!" He curls up in his coats with a cat grin.

"That's just you being lazy!" barks Kurogane.

Anna chuckles and puts a finger to her lips. "Shhh," she goes, one eye closed. "The princess is sleeping."

Kurogane grits his teeth and puts his hands on his hips.

"Since we have shelter," says Anna quietly. She looks to Mokona who sits on the couch with the princess. "Mokona?" The others huddle around the couch. Syaoran stands and Fai kneels with is arm stretched out on his knees.

Mokona smiles. "It's very slight, but Mokona does sense the power of Sakura's feather. A feather is definitly in this country!"

A monster crashes through the wall then. Anna's not fast enough to react. Kurogane jumps over the couch, away from the monster, and grabs both the princess and Anna. She stumbles as he pushes her behind him.

Fai giggles. "Well! We just moved in and we have guests already!"

"I didn't invite 'em!" barks Kurogane. Anna reaches for the princess. Kurogane notices and hands over the still sleeping girl. He can't fight with the girl in his arm. The girl is light as Anna wraps her arms around her waist and pulls her back. Mokona jumps onto Anna's head. The men stand in front of Anna now, Syaoran tensed to fight.

"Anna-san!" he says. "Please protect the princess!"

"Of course," she answers. She reaches her arm in front of her. A moment passes. Nothing. Nothing happens. Shock grows across Anna's face. She can't make a shield. She doesn't tell Syaoran. She sets the girl down behind her. Mokona asks what the matter is but Anna's doesn't answer. She removes the creature from her head and sets it with the princess. She then kneels down in front of the princess, ready to protect to with or without her magic.

She doesn't understand why she can't use it. She could back in Jade. And in Koryo and the Hanshin Republic. Why now?

The monster strikes at Syaoran but he jumps out of the way. The monster prepares to strike him from the right. Anna yells for him to watch out but he's slow to react. The monster causes a gash in the boy's arm.

The boy jumps around and pushes himself off a wall. He lands a powerful kick on the monsters head. The monster screams and falls to the ground.

"Nicely done!" praises Fai.

Anna sighs and falls back onto the bum. Mokona jumps onto her shoulder. "You okay, Anna-chan?" it asks.

"I don't know," she says with a half-hearted chuckle. She looks down at her hands, willing for something to happen. Nothing.

Fai goes on the talk about how too-good-to-be-true it was to have cute girls greet them and have a nice house provided for them. He was thinking that it was just a generous world, but clearly it has a dangerous side too.

The monster's corpse disappears. Syaoran points this out. Anna's just flat out confused. With a groan she falls back. Mokona jumps onto her belly.

"What's your problem?" complains Kurogane.

Anna mumbles.

Fai laughs. "What was that?" he says.

Anna sits up then and reaches her arms out, motioning for Syaoran to come to her. The boy complies and kneels down by her. She puts a hand over the wound on his arm. Nothing happens. Shock echoes through the room.

"Anna-san—" the boy is cut off.

She puts her hand up to silence him. Her eyebrow twitches. She's greatly irritated. Reaching into the pocket of her jacket, she pulls out a thin cloth and wraps it around the boy's arm.


	50. Oto II

Oto II

The next morning, Syaoran, Fai, and Mokona head out to City Hall. They want to ask about the monster that attacked them the night before. The princess is still asleep. The monster didn't disturb the couch so that's where she lies. Anna sits on the ground by her feet. Kurogane sits by the wall with his arms and legs crossed, his eyes closed. Since the princess is still sleeping, it was decided that Anna and Kurogane would stay behind with her. Anna's not sure how she feels about it. They currently sit in silence. She doesn't find it totally uncomfortable but she'd rather talk with him then sit in silence with him.

Kurogane had taken off his cape and the thing he wears on his face. Anna knows it's a warrior thing, but she prefers it when he's not wearing the helmet thing. She also doesn't mind it when he's not wearing the cape either. His arms are long and muscular and strong looking. These thoughts make her feel embarrassed and self-conscience.

Anna yawns. She wasn't able to sleep last night because firstly, she can't use her magic and that bothers her; secondly, the floor wasn't very comfortable; and thirdly, the nightmares aren't getting any better. More importantly, she can't use her magic. She wonders if Fai can use his, not that he was using it before. Maybe it's like the Hanshin Republic. Upon entering that country, a kudan was attached. Maybe here in Oto when you enter, your magic becomes nullified. This is the only way to she can explain it. She can only hope that in the next world she'll have her powers back.

She stretches her legs out in front of her and leans against the couch. She yawns again and rubs her eyes.

"If you're still tired, go back to sleep," says Kurogane, looking at her with one eye open.

With a groan, Anna explains she can't because the floors so hard. She leans her head back and closes her eyes. "Hey, Kurogane?" she says.

"What?"

"What language do you speak in your country?"

It takes him a moment to answer. "Japanese."

She looks at him now. "And your country is called Japan, right? Like the place Ms. Yuko is in?"

"My Japan is different."

She nods. "And the place you live in is called Nihon? Did I say that right?"

It surprises him that she remembers the name. He nods. "Yeah, you did."

She nods and looks at her lap. She tries to say the name of the sword he gave to the witch. "Jinru?" she says out loud finally, unsure. "The sword you gave up."

"Ginryu," he corrects.

"Ginru?"

"Ginryu!" he groans, uncrossing his arms and gripping his knees, annoyed. "It means 'silver dragon'."

"Ginryu?"

He nods his head, annoyed.

"Hmmm." A pause. "That sword was important to you, yes?"

"Yeah, it is."

There's a lull in the conversation. "You're not going to tell me why?"

"No. Why should I?"

"I've told you things about me when I didn't want to. It's only fair that you share something about yourself too." She recalls the conversations in Koryo and in the country with the lake that she had with him and Fai.

He curses under his breath and mutters something about her being a pain in the ass. "It was my father's," he declares. Anna looks at him now, surprise clearly on her face. "What?" he barks.

Her eyes look away. "I didn't think you'd actually tell me."

"Tsk!" He looks to the side.

She smiles to herself. She's happy that he told her something. "Were you close to your father?"

He sighs and leans his elbows against his knees. "Yeah." A pause. "He was killed when I was still a kid."

Anna nods, understanding. "Your mother?" He's silent. He frowns and closes his eyes, as if he's trying to push away memories. From this, she can tell that his mother is probably dead too. Anna asks a different question. "Was your father a warrior too?"

"Yeah. The best in Suwa Province."

"Was he the one that taught you how to fight?" He nods and closes his hands into fists. As much as Anna wants to know more, she decides to not to ask anymore about his parents. Before she can change the subject, he speaks.

"And what about your parents?" he asks.

"They died when I was young. They were caught in a rockslide in the mountains." A pause and a frown. "Back in Hanshin, you said the princess of your country sent you away. What did you say her name was? Tomoyo?"

"Princess Tomoyo."

She nods with a smirk. She looks up to the ceiling. "Princess, huh?" She checks on the princess behind her. She's still sound asleep, completely unmoved by the goings on around her. "What is this Princess Tomoyo like?"

He sighs and grits his teeth. "She's a pain in the ass for sending me away like she did."

"I think to you, everyone's a pain in the ass."

He changes the subject. "You said you were a farmer for a couple of years. You don't seem like someone who'd work fields."

She stretches her legs out in front of her. She explains that it was a fruit farm and she worked the berry bushes as a picker. "All I did was pick berries," she tells him, "I didn't work fields or anything like that."

"What did you do before that? And don't you dare say 'that's a story for another time'!"

She smiles to herself. "That's nothing you need to concern yourself with." With a smirk, she looks to him to find him glaring at her. She sticks her tongue out at him and he grits his teeth. She looks away from him then and sighs. She looks down at her hands. "I'm sorry, but… that's a part of me that I would prefer to keep a secret for a bit longer. Ask me about something else," she says.

Kurogane leans back against the wall and crosses his arms. "So, you're running away from something too."

She nods her head. "More or less. I'm sure you'll figure it out before I get around to telling you." The thought scares her a little and makes her feel uneasy. She tries not to think about before the farm as much as she can. There are memories there that cause nothing but pain and anger. Then before all that, those memories don't even seem like her own.

There's a lull in the conversation. Kurogane's the one to break it. "What'd you say your sister's name was?"

"Odette. She was my older sister." She fiddles with the ring. "We were really close."

"Your real name is Odile, right?"

Anna nods her head. "Odile Komarov." Anna Gray is one of her favorite authors. She wrote adventure stories with dark backgrounds and twists that you never saw coming. "You think the others have figured that out yet?" she asks.

He thinks for a moment then answers, "Maybe the wizard."

Anna chuckles darkly. "No one back home was quite as observant as you guys are. They were satisfied with my vague answers."

He thinks for a moment. "Why'd you change your name?"

"For selfish reasons I don't care to discuss. Please ask me about something else."

He nods. "What about this Rothbart guy?"

Anna clenches her hands into fists with a twisted smile. "That man in Jade looked just like him, though he wasn't totally like him. The one I know is—was a spineless coward who cared for nothing but his own standing. He thought high of himself when in reality he was nothing more than a parasite." She leans her head back and lets out a dark chuckle. She grips her face with one hand, covering her eyes. "Ivan von Rothbart was the bastard who killed Odette," she confesses. "He's also the one who shattered my soul's bond. There's nothing more I hate than that man."

She thinks back to that day, when the engagement between Odette and Siegfried was announced.

_Odile walks down the hallway, running a finger down the clipboard. She sighs with annoyance. She can't believe Odette is making her put together the guest list, for both her and Siegfried. That's a lot of people and includes the Council, Chamber of Advisers, and all the Royal Servants. Odette wants to include them as well. Odile doesn't have a problem with it, she likes the idea actually, solely because it upsets the Council. She thinks about sending an invitation to Rothbart too. It'd be like a slap in his face. The thought makes her laugh out loud. _

_She rounds the corner then. "No! Stop!" a lovely voice screams. Odile reacts quickly, dropping the book and running for Odette's bedroom down the hall. She holds her skirt up, making it easier to run. She sees two guards run her way. She makes it to the door first and throws it open. Her eyes widen in horror. _

_Rothbart kneels over Odette, the skirt of her dress pushed up, exposing her bare leg. Odette pushes her arm against Rothbart, tears have filled her eyes. The guards file in. _

"_Stay out!" Odile screams at them. Odette wouldn't want them to see her like this. She rushes to the scene and grabs Rothbart's long braid. He yelps as Odile uses it to pull him off of her. Odette crawls away and pulls her skirt down. Letting go of his braid, she kicks him back and yells for the guards to enter. Odile kneels down by Odette's side. _

_Odette reaches for her younger sister and wraps her arms around her waist. She buries her face in Odile's chest, choking back tears and sobs. Wrapping her arms around the shaking shoulders of her beloved older sister, Odile tries to clam her. _

_The guards apprehended Rothbart and push him to his knees. Several other guards file in. _

"_What should we do with him, Your Highness?" one of the guards asks Odile. His says these words with hate laced in them. He's angry that someone would dare attack the Queen of his country._

"_He assaulted Her Majesty the Queen," says Odile, eyebrows furrowed. "He is to be executed."_

"_Yes, Your Highness," the guards say. _

"_No, Lile! You can't!" says Odette. _

_Odile looks down at her sister. "How can you say that! You're still shaking!"_

"_He didn't do anything! I mean, he tried, but—"_

_Odile pushes her sister from her and grips her shoulders. She demands to know what happened exactly. Odette's eyes drift to the guards. She doesn't want to discuss it with them here. Odile notices and grits her teeth. "Take him to the dungeon then," she orders. "I'll give his sentence before nightfall."_

"_Lile…" pleads Odette. _

_Odile looks at her, eyes unwavering. "No one attacks you and gets away with it."_

_Odette nods her head. _

_Rothbart was taken to the dungeon. When Siefried was told of what had happened, he grew much too angry and had to be detained. Odile and Odette sat in Odile's room going over what had happened, after Odette washed up. Before night fall, it was declared that Ivan von Rothbart would be stripped of his position on the Council and any wealth and property within the country's borders. He'd then be exiled from Rujos. _

"I should have executed him then and there," she says under her breath.


	51. Oto III

Oto III

Fai and Syaoran return, bags over their shoulders. Fai walks in and then pets Kurogane on the head like a dog. Kurogane barks for him to stop treating him like a dog. They begin to chat. Syaoran walks over to Anna and the princess. He asks if the princess is all right. Anna answers that she is, that she's been sleeping soundly.

"Hey, kid!" calls Kurogane. He points to Fai. "Explain this!"

Syaoran nods and explains that the monster that attacked them last night is called an oni, or demon. In this country, there are demon hunters that hunt and kill the oni. The hunters are paid for every demon they kill. The stronger the demon, the more money. The more demons, the more money. It's the fastest way to make a profit and a good way to gather information. To be oni-hunters however, you have to work in pairs, so Kurogane and Syaroan will work together as oni-hunters, if that's okay with Kurogane, of course.

The fact Kurogane couldn't understand Fai's explanation upsets him. Fai falls over and cries mockingly. Mokona jumps at Fai, telling him that he mustn't cry.

"QUIT YOUR FAKE CRYING!" barks Kurogane, greatly annoyed.

After Syaoran's done talking, Kurogane stands with a nasty grin on his face. He says that he gets it now. "Oni-hunting, huh? I think it could lighten the boredom."

"Kurogane's into it!" sings Mokona, jumping into Anna's lap. She hears Fai tell Syaoran, "Told you so."

Kurogane looks to Syaoran then. He asks if it the job is all right for him. This takes the boy off guard. Kurogane explains that they don't know how strong the demons are, that always happens when the job it to defeat things for money. "It isn't work for amateurs," he says. He grabs the right side of the boy's face then. "And you, you're blind in your right eye."

This takes Fai by surprise but not Anna.

Kurogane lets the boy go and explains how he came to this conclusion. He says that the first time he saw the kid in action was when he used the kudan. He controlled the beast with his spirit so it didn't matter whether he could see or not. Next was in the country of Koryo. Then, when the overlord's son grabbed the princess's arm, he didn't react. It was like he didn't even see it. "That son really meant to hurt the princess," he adds. "I'd say there was murder in his eyes. If you left him alone, he'd have probably used his whip on her." He explains that is was because Syaoran's blind that he reacted with brutal intensity and put that man's son to the ground. Then there's the attack from last night. He didn't see the attack on his right side. Kurogane looks at Anna now. "You knew," he says. "That's why you called out to him."

The boy looks to Anna, shocked. Anna looks back at him and smiles weakly with a nod. "Yeah. I knew but I didn't figure it out like Kurogane did."

"Then how?" Kurogane asks her.

"My skills as a Healer," she answers simply.

He nods and looks back at the boy. "If that oni had been any stronger, or if Anna didn't call out to you, you wouldn't have gotten out with just a cut."

Anna knows the feeling in the room is rather tense but she smiles. She covers her mouth in order to hide it. Kurogane finally said her name. The more she thinks about it, the wider she smiles. She's not sure why. It's not even her real name.

"I will do everything I can to not be a burden to you," declares Syaoran to Kurogane, determination in his eyes. He bows deeply. "Please!"

"Let him do it, Kuro-sama!" pleads Fai with a smile. Mokona smiles and nods its head in agreement.

Kurogane frowns and looks to Anna. She drops her hand from her mouth and smiles at him with a nod. He grits his teeth but agrees.

"Thank you so much, Kurogane-san!" says the boy.

Fai grins. "Well, since that's been figured out," he says, poking Kurogane in the cheek. "I think we should address the fact Kuro Kuro finally said Anna-chan's name."

Kurogane barks that he didn't. Both Syaoran and Mokona say that he did. Anna lets out a laugh. Mokona jumps at her face. She catches it. "Yay! You're actually laughing!" it sings.

Anna's eyebrow twitches but she chuckles anyway. "When you say it like that," she says, "You make me sound like a horrible person, Mokona."

"I don't think that's what Mokona means, An-chan," smiles Fai.

"It just makes Mokona happy to see you happy! Plus, you're hands aren't that cold anymore!"

This takes Anna back. "Really? That's what Ms. Sakura said too."

"I think it's because you're finally warming up to us!" says Fai, throwing his arms around Anna's shoulders. Anna looks and finds Syaoran nodding his head with a smile. She finds Kurogane not really smiling, but not totally annoyed or pissed off either.

"Huh," she says. "Who would've thought that?" She decides to change the subject and shrugs Fai off of her. She asks what's in the bags. Syaoran explains that they picked up some clothes for this world. Fai then adds that they arranged for the house to be repaired as well.

"Since those two are going to hunt demons," Anna points to Kurogane and Syaoran, "What are we going to do?" She points to herself, Fai, then to the princess.

He points to himself. "I'm going to open a café here!" he answers. He points to Anna and Sakura. "And I thought you two could be the waitresses! Any good café has pretty waitresses."

Anna thinks it over, knowing she should accept. She smiles and says she'll do it.

Fai throws his arm in the air. "Yay!" He then explains that he's having things, like furniture and supplies, delivered to the house. Fai picks up one of the bags and hands Anna a uniform wrapped in brown paper. He pulls one out for himself and hands another package to Kurogane. "I didn't know what you wear but I think this'll work," Fai says. Kurogane grumbles under his breath but takes the package. Fai hands him another. It's something long and wrapped in cloth. It looks to be a sword. "I picked this up for you too."

Kurogane grumbles about it probably being a piece of crap.

Syaoran grabs a package from the other bag.

Just then, people arrive to repair the house. Next, the people with the things Fai ordered show up. As the wall gets repaired, tables, chairs, stools, and numerous boxes are brought it. It turns out Fai also got things for the rest of the house, like beds and dressers. Fai directs them and Kurogane watches the people repair the wall. Anna stands next to him, watching as well.

"They're really fast," she notices out loud.

"Yeah," he grumbles.

It takes under an hour for the wall to the fixed and even less for everything to be delivered. They decide to change before starting to set things up. They head upstairs to where the bedrooms are. There are five of them. In the room Fai directed Anna to, there's a large bed, dresser and a full length mirror. Curtains and two other paper wrapped packages sit on the bed. Fai said the other packages are normal, everyday clothes. Anna hangs up the curtains before changing.

Unwrapping the package he gave her before, Anna sighs. She holds up a dark skirt. She doesn't have a problem wearing skirts, she just prefers pants. After being on the farm for two years, she noticed just how comfortable pants are. Back in the palace, she had to wear extravagant dress and gowns. Even the clothes she would wear just to hang about were somewhat elaborate.

She finds a white long sleeved shirt, a dark vest, a red tie, dark stockings, a white apron, and black high heel shoes.

Undressing, she catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror. She and Odette looked so much alike that people thought they were twins, but Anna is five years younger than Odette. "Odette would be 26," she says out loud. With a sigh, she looks herself over in the mirror. Odette talked about having moments where she'd just think, "Damn, I'm hot!" She once asked Odile if she ever had moments like that. All she could do in response though was laugh.

Anna smiles to herself about the memory. She runs a hand over the swan before getting dressed. She tucks the shirt into the skirt and buttons the vest. There are only five buttons and the highest one in just below her bust line. She ties the necktie and tucks the tail of it into the vest. She looks herself over again. The clothes hug her body perfectly. She loosens the tie a bit. The collar of the shirt hides the swan. She pulls the skirt down a little. It's tight and is a bit shorter than she thought it would be; it hangs to the middle of her thigh and there's a small slit in the back to make moving easier. She pulls on the stockings and slips on the shoes. The heels are rather high but Anna has no problem walking in them.

She folds her original clothes and places them in the top drawer of the dresser. She puts the other packages in another drawer. She ties the apron around her waist, and then she heads downstairs.

Fai whistles, or tries to, when she sees her. She ignores him and mumbles under her breath about the skirt being too short. Mokona says she looks pretty and Syaoran says she looks very nice. She thanks them.

Looking to Kurogane, she finds him gazing at her. She looks to the ground, feeling red rush to her cheeks. She doesn't like feeling embarrassed, she decides. It makes her uncomfortable and she hates feeling uncomfortable.

He doesn't say anything and neither does she.

They begin to set up the café, the princess still sound asleep on the couch.


	52. Oto IV

Oto IV

The café is almost done being set up when the princess finally wakes up. Fai begins to explain to her what's going on. He tells her about the demon hunting reward and the new clothes. Fai wears a uniform similar to Anna's but he wears pants and doesn't have an apron. Syaoran wears a dark outfit with long sleeves and a turtleneck. She's not sure what Kurogane's wearing, so she asks him, handing him another curtain to hang up.

"It's a hakama," he answers.

"Hakama?" she says, not sure she said it right. He nods, indicating that she did. "Is it something like what would wear back in your country?"

"Something close to it, yeah." He looks down at her and a little red crosses his cheek.

Fai then tells the princess about the café and asks her to be a waitress with Anna. The princess accepts and Fai pushes her upstairs with a package of clothing.

Kurogane and Anna finish hanging the curtains when the princess returns. She wears something like what Kurogane is wearing, only it's meant for a girl and has an apron. She wears a headpiece and boots. The princess asks if she looks all right and Anna smiles at her and leaves the boy to answer. Syaoran blushes and nods his head.

Pulling at the skirt, Anna pulls the curtains open on the last window she and Kurogane dressed.

Mokona's eyes open then and it spits something out onto one of the tables. It's a plate of five chocolate desserts. Fai's the one to ask what it is. Mokona says it's from Yuko.

Fai smiles widely. "It isn't a gift, is it?" he questions.

"That witch does give anything way," says Kurogane, with an emphasis on the word "give."

Anna nods in agreement.

"But it looks delicious!" coos Fai.

Mokona explains that it's called fondant au chocolat. There's chocolate on the inside and you eat it hot.

"Her timing is perfect!" Fai exclaims before heading to the bar. He pours cups of tea for everyone. He started brewing it while they were setting up the café. "The tea is ready so let's all have some!" He returns to the table with the tea, little plates, and forks. Anna's not sure if she should eat the cake. She'll have to give something to the witch for sure. Then again, it's only chocolate, so unless it happens to be really pricey chocolate, the price shouldn't be too bad. Anna does like chocolate.

She sits at the table with the others and takes a bite the dessert. She smiles. Whatever the price is, it's worth it. She hasn't had chocolate in so long.

"Come on, Kurger Burger!" coos Fai.

"I don't want any!" he says, annoyed. He faces away from the table. A moment passes and Fai taps him on the shoulder. "What?" barks Kurogane. Fai then shoves a fork full into his mouth.

The room is dead silent.

"WHAT DID YOU JUST DO?" screams Kurogane. Fai giggles and Anna holds a hand over her mouth to stifle her own laughter.

"Kuropo ate some!" sings Mokona. "Kuropo ate some! I'm going to tell Yuko!"

"WHAT DID YOU SAY?"

Anna can't help it. She lets out a laugh. Kurogane yells at her to stop laughing, and she tries but fails. She's greatly amused. Kurogane groans loudly and stumps for the door. He declares that he's going hunting. Syaoran hurries to follow after him.

After they leave, Fai suggests he and girls work around the café so they can open tomorrow. He gives them both a tour of the kitchen and behind the bar. He shows them how to brew tea and coffee first. Then they try and recreate the chocolate dessert with Mokona's help.

A few hours pass. And Anna and the princess sit at one the tables, folding cloth napkins as Fai showed them. Working in a café is one thing Anna never thought she'd be doing in her lifetime. Then again, she didn't think a lot of things would happen in her lifetime. She pushes the thoughts away.

"Meow, meow, meow," Fai sings from the floor. He's painting signs for the café, which happens to be a picture of a cat. Mokona sits on his head wearing a little apron. Anna's amazed at how much Fai knows about running a café. She wants to find out a little more about him, like she did with Kurogane but Fai seems to be a bit harder to crack. Plus, Anna finds Kurogane much more interesting. The thought sends a shiver up her spine. It's kind of embarrassing and she's a little confused about it.

"YOU RAT!" Kurogane screams, slamming the front door open. It startles both Anna and Sakura. He's fuming. His anger is directed at Fai. Fai only grins back and welcomes him home. "You little… You went and gave us weird name, didn't you?" He says this through his teeth that form an evil grin on his face. He looks ready to kill.

"Weird names?" Anna questions.

Fai explains that the girl at City Hall told him that he could use aliases. He draws on a piece of paper. "I don't know this world's writing system." He shoves the piece of paper in Kurogane's face and throws his other hand into the air. There's a huge smiles on his face. Anna's mouth hangs open and her eyebrow twitches at the sight of the picture Fai drew. He points back and forward between the big black dog and Kurogane, "Big Puppy." He points to Syaoran at the white, smaller dog, "And Little Puppy. That's how they were recorded." Fai starts to draw another picture. Anna stands, walks over to him, and looks over his shoulder. The princess stands next to her. He draws a "Big Kitty" for him, a "Little Kitty" for the princess and a "Wifey Bird" for Anna.

Anna's not sure if she should be upset or amused. Well, Kurogane's angry enough for all of them. He removes his sword from its sheath and swings it at Fai. Fai runs away, hands in the air and laughing with a huge grin. Anna, Syaoran, and Princess Sakura retreat to the open front door.

Kurogane screams at Fai about the fact Fai's brain is full of dirty tricks, so he needs to spilt it open and wash it out for him. Fai laughs and teases Kurogane about foaming at the mouth like a dog. Syaoran stands on the sidelines, trying to calm Kurogane down, failing. There's no stopping him.

Anna stands on the sidelines, greatly amused. There was a time when nothing really amused her, besides watching Rothbart crawl in his own skin. She yawns then and wraps her arms around herself.

"Wow! What a cute café!" exclaims a girl. Anna turns around to see a young girl and a man. "What a pretty house you have, Puppy-san!" she says to Syaoran as she walks into the house. The boy stammers over the name. Sakura's not sure what to do with herself over it all.

The girl and man seem to wear uniforms. The girl's in a school one and the man is in a military type one. They have a dog with them. The man comments about the aroma in the air. He and the girl are unfazed with the fact Kurogane's trying to slice up Fai.

Anna explains to the man that it's a chocolate cake their experimenting with. She smiles up at him and says, "We don't open till tomorrow, but if you like, you could try some now. I'm sure Fai wouldn't mind."

"Nope!" Fai giggles. "Not at all!"

"We'd love too!" the man and girl say together, smiles on their faces.

"That's if you don't mind, Big Puppy," says the man,

"I AM NOT A PUPPY!" Kurogane screams. Anna lets out a laugh then. "STOP LAUGHING! Or did you forget that he gave you a weird name too?"

Anna ponders this for a moment and nods her head. "I'm not a big fan of the name 'Wifey Bird,' but," she points to her chest, "I do have a bird on my chest, so it makes sense." Plus, she pretended to be Fai's wife in Jade country. She doesn't say this out loud. She hates the memory. It was a very irritating situation.

"Oh, come on!" Kurogane groans.


	53. Oto V

Oto V

The girl, Yuzuriha, cheers at how delicious the dessert is with the fork still in her mouth. The man, Shiyu, agrees with her. The two customers sit at the bar. It turns out they're oni-hunters that Kurogane and Syaoran met while hunting earlier.

Anna smiles at Shiyu and points to Fai. They both stand behind the bar. "He did most of the cooking," she says.

Fai giggles. "I'm glad you like it!" he exclaims. "Taking Mokona's advice, I poured in some fresh cream."

"If you add cream," explains Mokona, "It makes it even more yummy!"

Sakura hands the girl a cup of tea. The girl thanks her.

"We're going to have to tell other oni-hunters all about this place," he man says.

"Please do," Anna says, smiling with her head tilted to the side.

The girl asks if they just came to the country. "Yes, just yesterday," answer Sakura.

Kurogane stands to the side of the bar, leaning against it. Anna thinks he's still upset about the weird name thing. What did he expect though? It was Fai who was registering them. Something about him screams weird names. However, he doesn't have weird names for the princess or Syaoran. Why is that? Anna doesn't ponder the thought for too long.

Fai explains that a demon attacked their house on the very first night while he hands the man and Syaoran a cup of tea. He then hands one to Anna and points to Kurogane. She takes it with a nod and she heads down the bar to where he stands, grumpy looking. She sets the cup on the bar and slides it over to him. He looks at her then down at the cup.

She smiles at him and says, "I'm the one that made it." He grumbles under his breath and looks away. Anna leans against the counter near him. "I can assure that Ms. Yuko has nothing to do with it." He's reluctant but he takes it. Anna bites her lip. She wants to say that she was joking, just to get a kick out of him. But that'd just be too cruel. Amusing, but cruel.

Fai asks the girl about the rankings of the demons, that the girl at City Hall mentioned something about it. Yuzuriha explains that there are seven different ranks; I, Ro, Ha, Ni, Ho, He, and To. I is the highest rank and To is the lowest. Within the seven ranks, there are five levels. For example, Ho-1 would be the strongest of the Ho rank and Ho-5 would be the weakest.

"That would mean the strongest is I-1," declares Syaoran.

"You got it!" the girl coos. "The dream of every oni-hunter is to defeat an I-1. That's what we work so hard for!"

It turns out the oni Syaoran defeated yesterday was a Ha-5. That's slightly above average.

Shiyu says that that's a bit odd though. Usually the only oni that would attack a house is a Ro rank or higher. Anna notices Kurogane paying close attention to that last part.

The dog perks up then. The man and girl stand from their seat, declaring that there's an oni nearby. Anna stands from the counter. Sakura questions how they know. The girl explains that her dog can smell oni.

Anna looks to Kurogane then and gives him a smirk. He glares back at her. She smiles at him with her eyes closed. With a "tsk," he looks away.

"Thanks for the cake," the man says to Fai.

"It was really delicious!" adds the girl.

"How much?"

"We'll say it's on the house," answers Fai, "But only if you tell everyone about us."

The man nods. "Of course! We'll make sure you get business." He heads for the door and the girl follows. She waves goodbye to Sakura before leaving.

_Looks like the princess made a friend, _Anna thinks. She wraps her arms around herself and a shiver runs up her spine.

"Looks like we have some regular customers," Fai says. He looks to Kurogane. "Don't you think, Big Puppy?"

Kurogane pulls out his sword. Anna smiles and covers her mouth.

Syaoran asks if Mokona can sense a feather. Mokona answers that it's a faint feeling and can't tell where it is exactly.

Kurogane chases Fai out from behind the bar. Fai yells playfully. "Big Puppy's trying to bite me!" Fai runs back behind the bar and behind Anna. "Protect me, Wifey-chan!" Kurogane stands on the other side of the counter, angry and holding his blade in the air, ready to strike. Fai bends down and wraps his arms around Anna's waist, hiding behind her. Anna puts her hands in the air as if to say she's unarmed, which she is.

"Get out here, you coward!" barks Kurogane.

Fai shakes his head with a grin. "Don't wanna," he says.

"I think you should just calm down a little," she tells Kurogane. He glares at her. She tries to reason with him. "Cutting up Fai isn't going to change anything. Can't you just tell people that you're name isn't 'Big Puppy'?" His glare doesn't waver and Anna decides to change to subject. "How about you tell me how your first demon hunt went?" Fai opens his mouth to say something but Anna covers it, shutting him up.

With a groan, Kurogane puts away his sword. He turns and walks away. "I'm going to bed," he grumbles.

Anna drops her hand from Fai's mouth with a sigh. "Thank you, An-chan!" he coos.

Anna pushes him off and says, "You really shouldn't upset him like that."

"Hmmm. You and Kuro-sama seem to be getting along well."

Red crosses her cheek and she brushes a finger over her bangs. She crosses her arms and shrugs. Fai leans over the counter with a cat's grin on his face. He doesn't say anything, only looks up at Anna. "What?" she finally asks.

"Oh, it's nothing."

Anna lets out a yawn then.

"Maybe you should go to bed too." Anna nods. Fai wishes her sweet dreams. "Goodnight, Wifey Bird," he says.

She pretends that she didn't hear that. She says goodnight to the princess, Syaoran, and Mokona.

"Goodnight, Anna-san!" says the princess.

"Night, Anna-chan!" coos Mokona.

"Goodnight, Anna-san," say Syoaran.

Anna smiles to them and heads up the stairs. She starts to remove the tie as she rounds the corner and to her surprise she finds Kurogane standing there, looking out the window. She passes him on the way to her room. She looks out the window as she passes, she doesn't see anything out of the ordinary. The night sky is clear and the moon is full. "Is something the matter?" she asks him.

"No," he answers. She doubles back and stands next to him. Normally, she would just leave him be. She's not sure why she's not. A moment passes and he doesn't say anything and neither does she. Another moment passes and Anna yawns again. Kurogane speaks first, "You have a bed now so you should get some sleep."

Anna nods. "You should get some proper rest too," she says. "You'll have a busy day tomorrow hunting oni and all." He doesn't say anything. Leaning over, Anna looks up at him. He looks down at her, a little annoyed but not angry. She smiles weakly. "Goodnight, then."

He looks away. "Goodnight."

With a sigh of disappointment, she heads for her room. "And here I was hoping you'd say my name again," she utters under her breath.

"Goodnight, Anna."

She stops but doesn't turn around.

"Or should I call you Odile?"

" 'Anna' is good for now," she answers with a smile in her voice. She looks over her shoulder then and gives him a smile like she used to give Odette when she did something cute. "See you in the morning." He nods and she returns to her room.


	54. Oto VI

Oto VI

Anna wakes with a start. She sits up in bed, gasping for breath, eyes wide. Holding her hands out in front of her, she finds them shaking. She holds them tight to her chest and pulls her legs up to her forehead. She bites her lip, choking back tears. A whimper escapes her lips and she holds herself tight. "Odette…" she whispers.

She sits there for a few silent moments before looking up. It's the time of night that's too late to be considered early and too early to get up and do anything. Even so, she crawls out of bed. She doesn't want to return to sleep.

She changes into her uniform, tie and all. She looks down at her right hand after she tightens the tie. She can remember the feeling of glass cutting and gnashing her skin. There's no scar. She hates that there's no scar. She didn't want the wound to heal but her body reacted before she could. They call her a Master Healer because she can heal herself. It's so much harder to heal yourself than another person and Anna can do this flawlessly. So much so that her body heals automatically. The Magic Assembly had never seen such power in such a young girl, they called her a prodigy. The whole thing irritates Anna to no end.

She slides on her shoes and quietly walks down the stairs to the café. The others are still sleeping and it's still dark out. She doesn't want to do anything that might wake the others.

She wonders into the back of the kitchen and finds a room with two machines. She thinks they're for washing clothes but she can't read anything written on them. She finds them to be rather strange. On a counter in the room sits a bag with everyone's original clothes. Fai had mentioned washing them yesterday so everyone brought their clothes out. Anna ruffles through the bag and pulls out the clothes, setting them in their respective piles. They're covered in dirt and grime from their traveling. She pulls her sweater to her nose and frowns. Fai's clothes seem to have some stains from the snow of Jade country. Picking up Kurogane's torso armor, she finds very little damage but a few blood stains. She wonders if she should even clean it. Maybe he wants the stains. She sets it down with a sigh. She never really could understand the inner workings of fighters.

She frowns at the machines and puts the clothes back into the bags and hauls them outside. The air is cool and there's no breeze. There are laundry lines in the back yard. Returning inside, Anna folds the sleeves of her shirt up above her elbows. She finds a large bucket in the room with the machines and fills it with cold water outside. This isn't really how she'd do it at the cabin but this is the only away she thinks she can. She washes every piece separately without soup and in cold water. She leaves Kurogane's armor aside. She'll ask him later if he wants her to wash it or not.

After everything is hung, the sun begins to rise. She wipes her forehead and tips the water out of the bucket and into the yard. She returns it to the room and heads back into the main part of the house. Everyone is still asleep she thinks. She doesn't hear any movement upstairs.

She decides to open the curtains, letting the warm sunlight fill the room. Once done, she leans against the bar, eyes looking at the ground. Odette's blood covered face flashes in front of her and her knees grow weak. She shakes the image from her mind and heads behind the bar. She brews a pot of tea, just as Fai showed her. She'd rather have coffee but she thinks the others would prefer tea.

She begins to hum one of the songs her mother would sing. Her mother would write songs about wishing for happiness and loving someone that'll take her to it. Mother would talk about how songs have a profound effect on some people, like they reflect what a person truly feels and can't say out loud. Anna was too young to really understand at the time and still doesn't totally understand now. Neither she nor Odette sang or worked with music like their mother. Odile studied healing and Odette worked with horses and the palace fashion house. Odile danced and Odette would watch; that's the closest either of them came to working with music.

Anna slides off her shoes and sings the song in her head, mouthing the words. She glides to the front of the bar and twirls away from it, stopping in the middle of the open space of the café setup.

"To find happiness with you…" Anna whispers, reaching one hand in the air, forming the efface devant position. She stretches her arms out at her sides, bending her kneels and coming back up with a spin. "Take me… A place not reachable alone…" She bends over, reaching her left leg up as far as the skirt will allow. Reaching both her arms in the air in the fifth position, she bends the knee of her right leg. "Take me away… I don't want your past." She moves her arms down into the first position then up into the fourth position. "I seek your present… Retrace my broken future… I wish for happiness…" She twirls one last time before resting in the third position. She lets out a breath.

"Bravo! Bravo, Wifey Bird-chan!"

Anna turns on her heels, shock on her face. She finds Fai standing in the doorway to the stairs and Kurogane behind him. Anna doesn't look at them long. "Morning," she mumbles, irritated. She didn't hear them come down.

"I didn't know you danced!" coos Fai.

"I didn't know you were there," she retorts. With a sigh, she walks around the bar and puts her shoes back on.

Fai smiles. "We didn't want to interrupt you. You looked like you were enjoying yourself." He takes a seat at the bar. Kurogane walks into the room and stands by the front windows. "Don't you think so too, Big—"

Anna puts a finger to Fai's lips. He looks at her, smiling but confused. She explains that it's still too early to be pissing him of. It's simply because she doesn't want to deal with it right now, but she doesn't say this out loud. He nods and Anna offers him a cup a tea. He accepts. "Would you like one, Kurogane?" she asks him.

He grumbles under his breath but walks to the bar. Anna smiles half-heartedly and pours the two of them cups of tea.


	55. Oto VII

Oto VII

Anna polishes the tableware as someone runs down the stairs. The princess trips a little but makes it to the bar. Her clothes are on properly though she doesn't wear the apron or head piece. Her hair is a mess. "Good morning!" she exclaims, out of breath. Anna smiles at her and greats her. Fai does the same, pouring a cup of tea.

"I'm sorry!" exclaims the princess. "I overslept!"

"That's quite all right!" replies Fai. He explains that they haven't set the exact time for opening the shop yet.

The girl forms fists and pumps them into the air with a determined look on her face. "I'll do my best to be awake at the proper time tomorrow!"

Anna smiles at her, though it doesn't totally reach her eyes. _You're still not 100% yourself yet, _she thinks.

"I'm cheering you on, Sakura-chan!" sings Fai.

The princess looks around the shop. "Where are Mokona, Syaoran-kun, and Kurogane-san?"

"They went to city hall," answers Anna. "There was another oni attack last night so they went to get the bounty."

"Last night?"

Anna nods. "You can sleep very soundly, Sakura-chan," says Fai, retreating in the kitchen.

It was after everyone went to bed. Kurogane and Anna were the first but the others followed shortly after. Dozens of low ranking demons showed up. Syaoran and Kurogane took them out without any problems. The princess slept straight through it. Anna stayed in the princess's room with her and Mokona until Syaoran said it was safe.

"Somebody got wounded again…?" stammers the princess, genuinely concerned.

"Syaoran did but only a little." Anna leans over the counter next to the princess. She smoothes the girl's hair down, diminishing the bed-head. Once done, Sakura looks up at her and smiles weakly. "I can see that you're worried." _If I could heal him then she probably wouldn't worry so much, _she thinks.

She nods her head. "Syaoran is working very hard to get my memories back. And I can't do anything!" Fai exits the kitchen, tray in hand. "Also, sometimes Syaoran-kun looks… so very lonely." She holds her hands to her chest, sadness laced in her gaze.

Fai smiles at her. He says that there is something she can do. "You can smile," he says. He compares her smile to food given to a starving man. Syaoran would be the starving man. This takes her aback but she understands.

Anna understands the feeling, of being the starving man. She pushes the thought away and returns to polishing a spoon.

Fai sets the tray in front of the princess. There's a cup of tea, a sweet bread bun, and two different kinds of toppings. "Here's food for the starving Sakura-chan!" he says. "You are hungry, right?" The princess nods with a smile. He smiles back. "Go ahead and eat."

"Thank you so much!" exclaims the princess, smiling.

Anna thinks back to the meals she would make back home, back at the cabin. They weren't anything impressive; what's impressive is that she could cook. Back in the palace, she didn't need to and she was never really taught. She remembers watching the chefs prepare for balls and banquets and they'd let her and Odette taste test but they couldn't help out. The kitchen is the place for women, some say, but not the place for a princess. The thought makes Anna chuckle darkly under her breath. She recalls how good the meals were at the palace; though sometimes the food would be cold by the time she got it. The palace really is too big.

"It's delicious!" exclaims the girl, completely impressed.

"Hurray!" cheers Fai.

"Fai-san, you're amazing! Your drawings are good and your cooking is wonderful!"

Fai explains that the drawing is a part of his magic. He compares cooking to creating potions or enchanted items. "But… An-chan, Syaoran-kun, and Mokona liked it but Big Puppy on the other hand…" He grins to himself.

The princess's face shows confusion so Anna explains that Kurogane doesn't like sweet things. The princess nods in understanding. The princess asks Anna if she knows how to cook. Anna answers that she sort of does but is nowhere near Fai's level.

"Thank you, Wifey Bird!" Fai coos, throwing his arms around Anna's shoulders.

She sighs. "You couldn't come up with a better name than that?" She groans. "Don't answer that."

"Ah! Anna-san?" says the princess.

"Yes?" she replies with a smile, pushing Fai off of her.

"I think I forgot to thank you for before, in Jade country."

Anna tilts her head to the side. "Thank me for what?"

"You healed my feet." She bows her head. "Thank you!"

She chuckles and smiles. "There's no need for you to thank me, Princess. Just like you, I'm trying to do what I can to help. But you're welcome." The girl smiles back. Anna's breath catches in her throat. _A childhood friend, _she bites her lip and returns to polishing.


	56. Oto VIII

Oto VIII

Anna clears a few plates from one of the tables. They had a few customers her and there. Fai assures them that business will pick up soon. Anna doesn't really care either way, though she's grateful for the job. It helps keep her mind off things. This world they're in right now is rather calm compared to the others they've been to. That makes her a little uneasy, especially since she can't use her magic.

She brings the plates to the sink behind the bar. She hears Fai directing the princess in make bread. The girl is very eager to help out. Anna begins to wash the dishes, thoughts trying to find their way out of the vault she locked them in.

The front door opens then. "We're home!" cheers Mokona, hopping in the house before Syaoran, how holds the door open.

"Welcome home!"coos Fai, meeting Mokona half way, a huge smile on his face. Mokona dances in his hand and comments on the wonderful smell. Fai tells it that their make bread.

Anna smiles with a nod at the boy and starts washing the plates. The princess greets him, rubbing a dough covered hand on her face, getting dough in her hair. Kurogane stomps into the house, irritated by something.

"Is Kuro-puppy still cranky about this morning's breakfast?" says Fai. The boy shakes his head like he shouldn't try to upset Kurogane.

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP THE 'PUPPY' TALK!" he yells through grinding teeth.

"Did something embarrassing happen?" the princess asks Syaoran. "Kurogane-san looks really angry."

"Umm… well…" the boy stammers. He explains that they stopped at City Hall again, after meeting with an informant, and Kurogane went directly to the Express Assessment counter to changes their names but the lady there said it was impossible. The only way to change their names is to leave the country and enter again. And on doing that, any money earned up to this point will be forfeit.

Fai busts out into laugher.

Kurogane runs after him, sword in hand. "THIS IS NO LAUGHING MATTER!" he screams.

"Why not?" questions Fai, grin on his face. "It's cute!"

"The puppy pair!" adds Mokona.

As they continue in this manner, Anna leans against the counter towards Syaoran. She asks him about this "informant" he mentioned. He answers that he asked her, the informant, about any recent odd occurrences or accidents. She answered that oni have been acting a little strange. They've been emerging in places they never used to and sometime show in the afternoon when they normally only come out at night. In addition, a new type has appeared.

"New type?" Anna questions.

Syaoran nods. "There aren't any details," he answers. "There's only been a sighting and no oni-hunter has fought it." The lady said it's heard to be a very beautiful oni. She gave them directions to the person who has seen this new type of demon.

"Are you and Kurogane-san going to investigate then?" asks the princess.

The boy shakes his head. "The informant said I'm too young to get in."

"Too young?"

"Is this place like a bar or something?" asks Anna.

The boy nods. "Yeah. I can't go enter places serving alcohol."

Anna nods. Her eyes wonder to the running Fai and chasing Kurogane, Mokona on Fai's head. "Does that mean you're going alone, Kurogane?" she calls after. He finally gives up on chasing Fai. He sheaths his sword with a scowl on his face. He stomps over to the bar and takes a seat. He says that he's fine going by himself.

Fai skips back behind the bar. He collapses over the counter, tired but smiling ear to ear. He looks up at Anna and says, "Maybe we should go with him, huh, Wifey-chan?" He reaches up and pokes Anna in the cheek. She swats his hand away. She begins to dry the plates she washed.

"What's wrong with you?" questions Kurogane.

"Nothing," she answers, irritated. "I'm just tried."

"You're always tired," comments Fai.

_If you had nightmares like mine, _she thinks, _you would be too. _

Mokona jumps onto her head. She looks up at it as it looks down at her. "Mokona thinks fresh air will make you feel better!" it exclaims.

She smiles weakly. "Would that make Mokona happy?" The creature nods. Anna can feel eyes on her.

Despite Kurogane's protest, it's decided that he, Fai, and Anna will head off to the bar while the princess, Syaoran, and Mokona take care of the café. Syaoran changed into a uniform similar to Fai's and Fai changed into everyday clothes and a coat. Anna also changed out of her uniform. She wears a lavender dress that reaches past her knees and hangs loose on her body. The sleeves end past her elbows and the neckline is square and low, showing cleavage and the tattoo. Over the dress she wears a jacket.

The three of them walk through the town. It's later in the day and the sky has grown dark. The moon remains full, which surprises Anna.

Fai hums and Kurogane stomps. "I wonder if we've got customers tonight," ponders Fai. He turns around and asks Anna what she thinks.

She shrugs with a smile. "It would be nice if we do," she answers. Anna looks to Kurogane, how still seems mad about the whole name thing. Or maybe it's because he couldn't catch Fai.

Fai asks if he's still mad, grinning.

"WHAT DO YOU THINK?" he screams back.

"I think he's still mad," teases Anna. Kurogane groans.

A moment passes and Fai walks next to Anna. He leans over and whispers, "Watch this." Anna raises an eyebrow at him. Fai walks up behind Kurogane. "Ah!" he exclaims.

"WHAT NOW!" barks Kurogane, turning his head into Fai's finger. Fai giggles and turns away, hands in the air. Anna chuckles a little, hand over her mouth. The look on Kurogane's face was priceless.

"Made you look!" coos Fai. "Made you look!"

Kurogane's face now reads, "I'm going to slice you up into pieces." He says through gritted teeth, "Just stand very still and I'll send you to the next world…!"

Anna's eyes catch a glimpse of movement behind Kurogane.

"Ah!" goes Fai.

"YOU'RE TRYING THE SAME STUPID TRICK TWICE?" Kurogane screams, angry.

Fai throws something passed him and hits four demons. Darts stick out from their heads as they fall to the ground.

"This time was the real thing," smirks Fai.

The demons begin to disappear. Fai pulls out a map and looks it over. This shouldn't be a place where oni appear. Anna walks up next Kurogane and watches the oni vanish.

Five more, larger than the ones before, begin to form around them. Anna curses under her breath. Kurogane unsheathes his sword and steps closer to Anna. He wears a devilish grin on his face.

Fai continues to smile, pulling more darts out of nowhere. He steps closer to Anna on the other side of her. He tells her to stay close.

She nods. All she can only think about is how she's a burden to them by being here. She should've stayed back with the children. This is no place for her.


	57. Oto IX

Oto IX

The demons attack at once. Kurogane wraps his left arm around Anna's waist and jumps out of the way. He swings his sword and slices the head of one in two. Fai throws his darts and then dodges an attack.

Kurogane lands out of reach of the demons but doesn't let go of Anna. "Are you all right, Wifey-chan?" Fai calls to her. She tells him that she's fine. Fai's darts don't have any effect on the demons. He continues to dodge attacks without throwing them.

An oni attacks and again Kurogane evades, bringing Anna along with him. She holds onto the arm that's wrapped around her as he swings his sword again. "Let me go," she tells him. He doesn't look at her; he keeps his head in the fight before him. "I'm only getting in the way. Let me go so you can fight properly."

"If I let you go," he says, voice deep and even, "You'll be even more of a pain."

"If you keep holding me than we're not going to get anywhere."

He looks at her from the corner of his eye. She has a point.

"Don't worry. I'll take care of myself."

"And how do you plan on doing that? You don't have your magic."

"I'll manage. Now let me go."

An oni strikes at him and he dodges, still holding her. "Kurogane!" she cries out, irritated. He doesn't reply. The oni throws its claws towards them and he slices it's arm off with one swing of the blade.

"You can scold me all you want once this is over," he says, "but I'm not letting go."

Anna's heart skips a beat. The tone of his voice sends a chill up her spine.

An oni charges at them. Anna turns herself to face Kurogane, getting closer to him. His grip around her tightens. She sets one hand on his shoulder and the other on his chest. This makes it easier for him to move and fight, though it makes Anna a little embarrassed to be this close to him. She can feel the red cross her cheeks. He takes a stance with his sword in front of him. He cuts the demon down.

Kurogane complains that Fai's not fighting back, that he's only avoiding and not taking any of them down.

Fai explains that his darts aren't having any effect on the oni. The oni just regenerate themselves after each hit. "So I thought I'd leave them to the expert," he says, smiling. He gets a glimpse of Kurogane and Anna and grins like a cat. "Well, you look like you're enjoying yourself, Big Puppy!" He chuckles and evades an attack.

"SHUT UP!" he screams, and then his eyes drift towards Anna. Their eyes meet and red crosses their cheeks. They look away from each other.

Another demon shows up and attacks Kurogane and Anna. Kurogane jumps out of the way and cuts it down.

"Way to go, Big Puppy!" calls Fai.

"Those stupid names you used to call me are better!" barks Kurogane.

Fai flips off the backs of one of the demons. "You really think so? Tell me! Which one did you like best? Kuropo? Kurger Burger? Kuropi? Kurgs?"

"I HATE THEM ALL!"

Anna lets out a chuckle.

The demon catches Fai with an attack. Fai gets hit on his right side.

"Fai!" Anna calls.

Kurogane cuts down another demon. "Fight back, you fool!"

Fai jumps onto a lamp post and says that he doesn't have any weapons left. Two demons converge on him and the eyes of one start to glow.

"GET DOWN!" calls Kurogane.

The oni attacks with light from its eyes. It hits Fai head on. He didn't have a chance to get out of the way. He's sent flying into a building with a loud crash. Rubble and bricks fall from the building, smoke in the middle of the pile. The oni moves to attack again but Kurogane attacks first. He cuts the oni threw the middle and lands in front of where Fai landed. The smoke fades to reveal Fai covered in dust and scratches, his clothes torn. He sits in the rubble, blonde hair covering his face and limbs out at his sides as if he were lounging.

"Tsk!" goes Kurogane. He looks at Anna and she looks back him. Reluctantly, he lets her go and she runs back to Fai. She stumbles a little on a loose rock and falls on her knees next him. She brushes his hair from his face. His eyes are closed but he's still breathing.

Even though Kurogane cut several demons down, there are still just as many left as when they first started. They stomp towards them. "Stay down!" Kurogane orders Anna. She nods and ducks down by Fai, shielding him as best as she can.

He takes a stance close to the ground with his legs apart. He points the blade towards the ground with his right arm and runs his left hand across it. The wind picks up around him in a circle. He calls the name of his attack and swings the blade and wind gusts powerfully around him. Anna holds an arm over her face as her hair is blown behind her. The bangle jingles and the band in her hair breaks, sending her hair flying all around her face.

The demons are blown away and disappear with the wind. Anna watches as the blade in Kurogane's hand shatters into pieces. He curses under his breath about the cheap sword being too cheap for that technique.

Fai sits up then and claps his hands. "Way to go, Kuro-sama!" he coos. Anna sighs in relief and irritation. She smiles at Fai and he smiles back. A lock of red hair falls in her face, she moves it behind her ear. He tries to stand then but winces. Anna grabs his shoulder and pulls him back down. His left leg is injured and the rest of him is battered. Kurogane walks over and Fai waves his hand in the air. "A wound this slight won't kill me," he smiles.

"Not 'won't kill you," Kurogane says, removing the sheath from his waist, "'Can't' kill you, right?"

This takes Fai by surprise and Anna holds her tongue. Kurogane presses the end of the sheath into Fai's injured leg. Fai winces. Anna reaches to push it away but Kurogane removes it before she can. She doesn't look up at him.

"You see, in my career, if anybody comes to kill me, I kill them," Kurogane tells Fai. Anna keeps her mouth shut and doesn't look at Kurogane but at the ground. He's speaking to Fai, not her. "If there's something I'm protecting, and anybody tries to steal it, I kill them. I can't count the number of people I've killed. I don't even try to hide it anymore." He points the sheath under Fai's chin and tilts his head up, making Fai look at him. "But, the ones I hate most in the world are guys who still have lives to live but they don't make any effort to live them."

With this last statement, Anna looks up at Kurogane. Her breath is caught in her throat. Then her gaze falls. She breathes quietly through her mouth.

Fai chuckles and smiles with his eyes closed. "I think we should discuss this another time," he says. "You're upsetting Wifey-chan," he adds, eyes open.

Anna stands, her knees a little weak. "You're right," she says, her voice even. "This isn't something I need to hear."

"Hey! Hey!" calls a woman. Looking up, Anna sees a dark skinned woman wearing a uniform similar to Anna's. "No private fights so close to our doors!" She stands by a bar entrance.

"Oh, please excuse us," says Fai, smiling. "Would you happen to know where the bar named 'Clover' is?"

The woman points to a sign. "You mean this bar?" She motions at the door with a wink and smile.

"Well, would you look at that?" Fai chuckles. He looks to Anna and asks if she's all right.

She nods her head without a smile. "Just a little shaken," she answers. She extends a hand to Fai and smiles with her eyes closed. He takes it and Anna helps him stand. She can feel Mr. Tall-Dark-and-Gloomy staring at her. She does her best to ignore him and help Fai to the bar.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Thank you so much for reading and reviewing.<p> 


	58. Oto X

Oto X

Fai sits at the bar, holding a bag of ice to his left ankle. Kurogane leans his back against the bar and Anna stands in between him and Fai. She moves a lock of her red hair behind her ear. The band holding it back is gone. The curls now hang to her shoulders in wavy locks, occasionally falling into her face.

The lady from before is a bartender of the bar Cover. She's the one the informant told the Puppy Pair about. She stands on the other side of the bar making a drink. She comments on their condition. "You guys have gone through alotta hell, huh?" she says. "Will your leg be okay?"

Anna frowns, she doesn't want to dwell on the fact she can't heal it for him.

Fai smiles at Anna and pocks her in the cheek. She doesn't smile back but looks ot the ground. Fai looks to the bartender and smiles and says that he's fine, he'll manage. He thanks her for the ice.

"What about you?" Kurogane asks, the question directed at Anna.

Though she doesn't really want to, she looks up at him and smiles. "Thanks to you, I'm fine," she says. Looking at her from the corner of his eye, he nods then looks away. She looks around the bar and finds it to be rather spacious. There's a long bar, which they sit at, and tables. There's a stage and the house is full of people murmuring and having a good time.

The woman says that you need a weapon to defeat an oni Ro rank or higher. That's why Fai's weapons, which weren't really weapons to begin with, didn't work against the demons. The woman pours out three drinks in cocktail glasses. She says the drink is an original at Cover and is called Four Leaf. The drink is a beautiful shade of green with a cover resting in the middle of it.

Anna fiddles with the thin neck of the drink. She's never been one to drink alcohol.

"Bartender-san—" Fai says, taking his drink.

"Call me Caldina," she corrects with a smile and a wink.

Fai leans against the bar and rest his head in his hand. "I see, Caldina-san. I was hoping to talk to a person who has met the new type of demon."

She nods. "You'll have to wait a bit." She points to a stage. "Until the song is over."

A spotlight lands on a woman on the stage. Anna's eyes widen at the sight of big curly black hair that hangs to the woman's elbows. The woman turns and begins to sing in that oh so familiar voice. After all these years, Anna never thought she'd hear that voice again. Or see those silver eyes that were passed on to her.

She holds her hand over her mouth and bites her lip. The other arm wraps around herself. _Mother…_ she thinks.

"…I long for joy with you…" she sings. "So take me away… To somewhere far from here…"

Kurogane groans. "If she wants to go somewhere, she should just pick up and go," he scoffs. "Why depend on someone else for it?"

Anna chuckles and so does Fai. They look at each, taken aback. Fai smiles and says, looking at Kurogane, "That's what you would do, huh, Kuro-tan?" Fai rests his elbows on his knees and his head in his hands. "I was a guy that always waited for the one who would take me along." A pause and a laugh. "And with that, I guess I made you hate me even more."

Kurogane doesn't reply.

Anna pokes Fai in the cheek; it seems to be becoming a habit between the two of them. He looks up at her, curious. She smiles and then turns back to the singer.

The song ends and the audience claps, including Fai and Anna. With a groan, Kurogane turns back to the bartender. "It's over," he says, "Can we talk about oni now?"

The woman makes up more drinks. "Brother, aren't you single-minded!" she says.

Anna chuckles and takes her drink and sips on it. It stings her throat on the way down.

"But, that's what they want to hear, Oruha-san." The bartender sets out another drink and the singer walks up to the bar with graceful smile. Anna's breathe catches in her throat but she manages to contain herself. She knows this woman isn't her mother.

Fai smiles. "Your song was beautiful," he praises.

Oruha winks. "Thanks," she replies. Anna grips the neck of the cup. She can feel Kurogane looking at her. She looks to the counter. He takes a sip of his drink. Then he downs the whole thing.

Fai asks if this is where she always sings. Oruha replies yes and that it's her bar. "Buy me a drink?" she says with a smile and a confident laid back look. "Then I'll tell you all about the oni I saw."

Fai grins. "With pleasure!"

Anna hands Kurogane her drink. He takes it and downs it. She finds this amusing. He pushes the empty glass to the bartender. "I want something stronger," he says, totally dissatisfied with the two he's had.

"Brother," replies Caldina, "If you can take it, you're on!" She pours him a different kind of drink in a different glass. He drinks that one without a problem.

Oruha explains that the oni all have odd shapes so the oni-hunters have no trouble differentiating them from the citizens. This way, no innocents get hurt. However, this new type of oni has a shape like a human; a beautiful young man.

The thought makes Anna smile to herself. Mother would call Father a beautiful man, inside and out. Father always had half-hearted issues with it. He was a warrior; he couldn't be beautiful, handsome or extremely attractive, but not beautiful. It was a manly thing that Mother would always tease him about.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I know that I usually update on Wednesday, and I still will this week, but I'm in a really good mood so I'm posting this chapter right now. Sorry that it's short and that not much happens but I can promise you that the next two will be more eventful. ;)<p> 


	59. Oto XI

Oto XI

The man behind the counter hands Anna the bag. She smiles and hands him the Cherry Blossom Money Coin. All the earnings are recorded on it, both from the shop and the hunters. The man hands the coin back to Anna. She thanks him and takes her leave.

She exits the store and finds Fai sitting on a bench across the street. Kurogane stands next it, arms folding in front of his chest, annoyed. There is a cherry blossom tree behind them. A breeze sends petals flying through the air around them. In this country, cherry blossoms are called "sakura," the princess's name. Back home, they were just referred to as cherry blossoms.

Anna walks up to the men and grabs the bag at Fai's feet. He offers to carry it or for Kurogane to carry it. She declines and they head out, Fai over Kurogane's shoulder, as directed by Anna. Fai shouldn't be walking until his leg is treated and to Kurogane's dismay, he has to carry him. He didn't really fight Anna on it. She wasn't, and still isn't, in the mood to be arguing and he knew it.

She can't heal Fai but she can treat him like any other would. She got healing ointments and a first aid kit from the store. She'll treat Syaoran's injury from before as well. She's not trained as a doctor and doesn't remember too much of what her mother showed her about making medicines and ointments, but she can wrap an ankle and use things meant for such treatments.

They come up on the café. The princess and Syaoran plus several others are in the front yard. Two of the others are the girl and the man from before, their first customers.

"We're home!" Fai calls, waving towards the house. Anna pulls the gate open for Kurogane. He grumbles under his breath as he walks passed her.

"Fai-san!" calls Syaoran and the princess, distressed over his condition. Fai explains that they ran into some oni.

Anna looks the boy over and smiles at him. She brushes a hand across his cheek. "I can see you ran into some oni yourself," she says, withdrawing her hand. He nods his head. Before he can say more, Kurogane lets go of Fai, causing him to fall off of his shoulder and face first into the ground behind him. Everyone has a look of utter surprise on their faces, though Kurogane's surprised about something else. The princess kneels down by Fai and Syaoran does the same, helping him sit up.

Kurogane stares at a woman, one of the others. She's tall with dark hair and skin. She wears a light colored dress that has slits going up the sides. "Soma…" he says, dumbfounded. "What are you doing here? You're supposed to guarding Princess Tomoyo!"

Fai laughs as Syaoran supports his weight. Mokona sits on his head.

Kurogane glances around him. "You're not running with Amaterasu, are you?"

The woman tries to calm him down. "It's true my name is Soma," she says with a small smile, "But I'm afraid this is the first time you and I have ever met."

Seeing that Kurogane doesn't really know what to do with himself now, Anna leaves the bags by the princess. She nudges Kurogane in the shoulder and he looks down at her but doesn't say anything. She smiles up at him then looks to the woman named Soma. "Please forgive him," she says. "He's been drinking." She can hear him groan behind her but ignores him. Her eyes wonder to the damage of the front yard. There is not damage to the house the yard is torn up quite a bit. They'll have to have someone come out and repair it somehow, or make Kurogane do it. He seems to be very useful in that department. Back in Koryo, he repaired Chu'nyan's roof after the wind put a huge hole in it.

Soma notices what Anna's looking at. "I'm very sorry for the damage to your shop," she says. She gestures to herself and the others. "We can help pay for the repairs."

Anna lifts her hands into the air, gesturing for her not to worry. "It's fine." She smiles. "I'm just glad everyone seems to be all right."

The woman smiles and nods.

A gust of window passes by then, sending Anna's hair into her face. This annoys her and she moves it out of the why and holds it to the side of the head. She points to the bags by Fai. "I just got some medical supplies and if you'd like," she points to a boy about Syaoran's age that stands behind her, he has scratches all over his face and arms, "I could take care of your wounded."

Soma says that won't be necessary, that they've already imposed too much.

"Yeah!" goes the boy. "There's no need for you to worry, miss! I'm totally fine!"

Anna smiles at the boy and he grins back.

Soma and the others say their goodbyes to Sakura, Syaoran, and Mokona, and take their leave. Anna waves to Soma and she waves back. Kurogane stands next to Anna. She looks up at him and he looks back at her, confused and half glaring.

"I like her," she says with a smirk.

"Tsk," he goes, and stomps into the house.


	60. Oto XII

Oto XII

Anna sits on the floor, legs crossed and Fai's foot in her lap. She wraps the bandage around and around his ankle. Fai sits on the couch with Syaoran next to him, holding a rag to the side of his face, which was injured while they were away. It's just a scratch.

Fai says, "Thank you for watching the shop," to Syaoran and Sakura.

Mokona jumps onto Anna's head and smiles at Fai. "Mokona helped out, too!" it sings.

Hair falls into Anna face. She moves it back with annoyance. She'll need to find something to tie her hair back.

The princess brings tea over to Kurogane, who sits at a table, angry and annoyed. The princess smiles at him. "So there's a Soma-san in Kurogane-san's country who looks exactly like this Soma-san?" she says.

Mokona jumps from Anna to Fai. "And you were so surprised, you dropped Fai!"

"SHADDAP!" barks Kurogane.

"There are a variety of worlds; we've already been to five, including this one," says Anna, pinning the wrap around Fai's ankle. "We've encountered half a dozen lookalikes already." A pause. " 'They're the same and yet they're not', that's what the Space-Time Witch said. We'll probably meet more in the future." She looks to Kurogane and smiles. "So we might want to start getting used to it."

He holds her stare for a long moment, debating on whether or not to say something. He decides not to and looks away from Anna with a frown.

Anna sets Fai's foot down gently. "All done."

"Thanks, Wifey-chan!" he says.

She stands and turns to Syaoran. She asks how he is and he says that he's fine. Anna takes the rag from him and looks him over. She smiles and nods her head. She takes the cloth and packs up the first aid kit.

Syaoran asks what happened at the bar.

Fai replies by saying that he brought back presents. He grabs for the other bag that Anna carried home. He pulls out three different bottles of alcohol. Caldina recommended them. "Let's have a drink and talk it over," he suggests.

Not even half an hour passes and Fai, Sakura, and Mokona sit by the couch giggling away with drinks in hand. Kurogane sits outside on the front steps with the front doors are open. He groans, annoyed that they got drunk so easily. Anna stands behind the bar, cleaning up. Syaoran stands on the other side, watching the others. He offers to help Anna but she tells him that there's no need and refills his cup. He thanks her and walks off to sit next to Kurogane.

Now that Anna thinks about it, should Syaoran and the princess be drinking? They are still kids after all.

Fai tells the princess about the meeting at the bar with a cat's grin on his face. Sakura shares the same expression; happy and drunk. "There was a beautiful singer lady and this really cute bartender at the bar," he sings.

Sakura meows in reply.

"And we had this nice long conversation… But…" He pokes himself in the forehead, willing the forgotten thought. "There was something about it that was a little odd… meow… What was it I found so odd? Meow…"

"Meow?" goes the princess.

They sit on the couch and giggle. "And then," says Fai, "I told them I ran a café of my own… Something they said when I told them the name of the café… Meow…?"

"Meow? We haven't named it yet… Meow…"

"Yuko said we gotta name the café 'Cat's Eye'!" coos Mokona.

There's a pause. Then Fai and Sakura giggle and squeal and laugh. "Isn't it perfect?" coos Fai. "The eye of a kitty! Meoow!"

"Meooow!" goes the princess. They clank glasses and take drinks.

Anna leans against the counter and smiles. This is very amusing. She looks to Syaoran and Kurogane. She wonders what they're talking about. She looks to the cup Fai poured for her to drink. The alcohol is a caramel color. Picking up the glass, she swirls it around gently, the ice cubes clanking against the glass. She takes a sip. Her eyebrow twitches slightly.

She doesn't care for tea and she doesn't care for alcohol.

"THANK YOU SO MUCH, SIR!" yells Syaoran, bowing to Mokona, who dances with a glass on its head. Mokona meows and Syaoran calls him "Kurogane-san."

"YOU ARE COKMPLETELY DRUNK!" screams Kurogane, extremely annoyed.

Anna lets out a chuckle and Syaoran walks into the kitchen.

Fai and Sakura cheer, saying meow over and over, throwing their drinks in the air.

"And you guys, don't you dare drink another drop!" Kurogane screams.

Syaoran leaves the kitchen with a ladle and holds it like a sword. "Let's get at it!" he says.

"What do you expect to learn with that?"

Fai, Sakura, and Mokona start a conversation speaking like cats. "Meow!" goes Mokona.

"Meow? Meow-meow," goes the princess.

"Meoow-meow-meoow!" goes fai.

"Meow!" goes the princess.

Syaoran faces a chair flipped over on the table, ready to fight it with a serving spoon. He asks Kurogane if he's doing it right and changes his stance and asks questions that aren't getting answered.

Kurogane stands in the door way, his eyebrow twitching, ready to snap. Anna ducks behind the counter.

"GO TO BED! ALL OF YOU! NOW!" he screams as loud as he can. Anna can't hold it anymore and she busts out into laughter. This is so amusing.

She stretches herself over the counter, watching Kurogane try to round up the kitty duo. They run away from him and slip through his hands. "Get back here!" He faces Anna with a death glare. "What are you doing just standing there? Don't tell me you're drunk too?"

She plays with the idea of pretending to be drunk but only for a moment. She bites her lip to stop herself from smiling and shakes her head, saying that she isn't drunk.

"Then get—" Fai jumps on his back then.

Anna looks to Syaoran who still stands with the ladle as a sword and she walks out from behind the bar. She rests her hand on his shoulder. He smiles up at her widely and shows her what's he's doing. He says that Kurogane is teaching him how to use a sword. Anna nods and says that it's pretty late to be training. He replies that it's never too late to train, that he'll train so that he doesn't have to sleep and that way he'll be able to find the princess's feathers even fast.

Anna puts a finger to her lips. "Let me tell you a secret," she says. He looks at her, curious. "You can train in your sleep too."

He nods his head, taking her more seriously than he really should be.

She turns him towards the stairs and pushes him towards them. "If you think about training and go to sleep thinking about training then you'll dream about training and train in your dreams."

"That's amazing Anna-san!" he says, heading up the stairs. He goes on and on about how he'll work really hard and become strong. Anna nods her head and leads him to his bedroom. "All right!" he says, punching the air, "Time for Dream Training!" Anna helps him into bed, closes the door behind her, and heads back downstairs.

She never liked alcohol but Odette did. At parties, she would have to keep an eye on how much Odette drank. And when she got drunk, she'd be giggly and more clingy to Anna than when she's sober. Then Siegfried came around and took very good care of the giggly drunk Odette. They truly were meant for each other.

Anna stops at the top of the stairs, taken aback by the memories of the two of them together. Shaking her head, she thinks of her mother and father instead. They also liked to drink. Mother didn't seem to change no matter how much she drank. Father was a fun loving person to start and became more serious as he drank. And very clumsy. And more open about his romantic feelings towards Mother.

The thought makes Anna laugh softly and she heads down the stairs. Now that she thinks about it, she never saw Siegfried drunk. And she wonders what she'd be like drunk. But she dislikes the taste of alcohol so much that she's not willing to find out.

Downstairs, she finds Kurogane hoisting Fai over his shoulder. She looks around to spot the princess, only the princess finds her first. "Meow!" yells the princess, jumping onto Anna, wrapping her arms around her waist. Anna looses balance and falls backwards. The girl lands on top of her, her face in Anna's bosom. Mokona falls onto Sakura's head and wiggles its way onto Anna's neck.

Anna sits up a little and the girl presses her face into Anna chest, purring. Anna blushes a little but smiles as the girl starts to fall asleep. Sakura reminds her of Odette so much.

"Meee-ow!" calls Fai from Kurogane's shoulder. Anna looks to see shock on Kurogane's face before he looks away and hauls Fai upstairs.

Anna looks to the princess and grabs Mokona from her neck. She starts to stand and Sakura doesn't let go. Anna places Mokona on her head and wraps her arms around the princess and leads her upstairs. Bringing her to her room, Anna tucks her in and sets Mokona with her.

"Goodnight, Princess," Anna says, exiting the room. With a sigh, she rubs her neck and heads back downstairs. She hears the clank of glass and angry mumbling. With a groan, Kurogane falls back onto the couch with drink in one hand and the other arm stretched out along the back of the couch. He narrows his eyes at her with a frown.

"I haven't been drinking," Anna explains, picking up empty cups. She takes them to the sink at the bar then grabs the cup she was drinking from earlier and heads over to Kurogane. With a smile, she hands the cup to him. He finishes his drink in one gulp and trades glasses with her. She heads back to the bar to wash the glasses. "I guess it's needless to say that they shouldn't drink again," Anna teases.

Kurogane groans and takes a drink from the glass.

Anna dries her hands and grabs one of the almost empty bottles. She sits down next to Kurogane, his arm behind her head. He doesn't move his arm from the back of the couch and when he finishes his glass, Anna refills it for him. She stretches her legs out in front of her and leans against the back of the couch. Kurogane still doesn't move his arm.

"You don't drink?" he asks.

She shakes her head. "I never had a taste for alcohol," she answers, moving a lock of hair behind her ear. She looks to his cup and smirks. "I can see that you rather enjoy it."

He mumbles.

There's a moment of silence. Anna asks him about Soma.

He replies that they worked together back in his Japan.

"Protecting Princess Tomoyo?" she questions. He nods, taking a drink. "You were really surprised when you saw her. Is she your lover or something?" He chokes on his drink and Anna lets out a laugh. "I guess that's 'yes'."

"NO! No, it's not!" He stares at Anna and she stares back. His expression grows serious. "That singer at the bar," he says slowly. "You were shocked to see her."

Anna eyes leave his before she turns her head away. She nods and says, "My mother."

"Hmmm." A pause. "You don't look much like her. You have the same eyes, though."

Her breath catches in her throat but she smiles. With a light chuckle and a blush to her cheeks, she says, "She used to say I look more like my grandmother on my father's side of the family." A pause. "The red hair comes from him."

Kurogane nods. Anna looks at him now and asks if he looks like either of his parents.

"My father," he answers.

There's another lull in the conversation and as Anna's mind wanders, a frown forms on her lips and sadness crawls into her gaze. She looks to the bottle in her lap and says her words softly. "'The ones I hate most in the world are people who still have lives to live but they don't make any effort to live them'," she quotes. She can feel him look at her but she doesn't look at him. "That's the type of person Fai is, isn't it?" She's not expecting an answer and doesn't receive one. She already knew something was up with Fai. She could tell that his smiles and laughs were pretend, but not totally forced. She's been doing almost the same thing for most of her life so she can relate and recognize such things in others. "Tell me, am I the kind of person you hate most?"

It takes him a moment to say something. "No," he answers. "You're different." He takes a sip of his drink.

She smiles but only faintly. "Different?"

"I think you're trying."

She nods slightly. "And failing." She chuckles darkly. "After my parents died," she says quietly, "I promised myself that I'd protect Odette and keep her happy no matter the cost." A pause. _That's when my skin froze over_, she thinks. She decides not to tell him that part. "Then, when she was murdered, I lost my reason for everything…" She bites her lip and her grip on the bottle in her lap tightens slightly. She can feel the sting of tears in her eyes and she tries to fight them back, leaning her head back to do so. "Because of a promise, I'm trying to move forward. I know I could try harder but it's almost like I forgot how…"

She turns her head and faces him now, a look of vulnerability and weakness all over her face. Kurogane holds her stare and says nothing.

Kurogane is very tall. When Anna stands by him, the top of her head barely reaches his shoulders. While sitting next to him, however, the top of her head reaches to about his nose. Looking at him now, she has to look up slightly, but doesn't mind. He has to look down at her, and she's sure that he's probably used to having to look down at people.

Kurogane's stare seems to see almost everything. Such a stare upset her before. She was worried about him figuring everything out; she still is, but not as much anymore. In fact, she wouldn't mind sharing everything with him. She wants to believe that no matter what she tells him, he won't judge her too harshly.

His eyes are red. She can't think of anyone else, besides the witch, who has red eyes. She likes how some of his black hair falls in his face; it makes her want to move it out of the way but refrains from doing so. Without even noticing, she starts to lean into him, trying to get a better look at him. He also leans in and his eyes don't leave hers.

A tear traces down her cheek, startling her, causing her to jump in her skin. Quickly, she breaks her gaze from Kurogane and leans away. She wipes the tear away and looks the other way from him, her heart now racing. She hadn't noticed how close she had gotten to him.

Kurogane doesn't say anything. She hears him sigh with slight annoyance, however, and lean back against the couch.

Somewhat tense and uncomfortable, Anna stands. Facing him, she smiles timidly, red still on her cheeks. She hands the bottle to him and he takes it, setting it in the seat next to him, trying his best not to seem bothered. She stretches her arms into the air and lets out yawn. Dropping her hands, she smiles at him. "I think I'm going to go to bed," she tells him. "Goodnight, Kurogane."

He grumbles under his breath, looking away from her. He's obviously annoyed.

"Hey, Kurogane?"

"Yeah?" he grumbles.

"Thank you, for earlier I mean, when you protected me form the demons." She bows and says it again, "Thank you."

"Don't mention it," he replies, lifting his cup to take a drink.

Without really thinking it over, she leans over towards him. She sets a hand on his suspended one, keeping him from taking a drink. She then presses her lips to his cheek. Leaning away slowly, she leaves her face a few inches from his. She's looks down at him slightly now.

With a smile, she straightens up and takes a half step away from him. Looking at Kurogane, she can't read his expression. He has a good poker face, Anna notices. She tries not to read too much into it. "I'll see you in the morning, Kurogane," she says, turning to head for the stairs. She takes several steps with her back to him.

The sound of glass being set on hard flooring startles her. Before she can react, his hand grips tight around her wrist and pulls her into him. Before she can say anything, his other hand grips her chin and tilts her head up toward his face. Before she can protest, his lips crush hers.

She doesn't fight it. She doesn't think and her mind goes more or less blank. All she can think about is Kurogane, and that makes her blush, not that she wasn't already.

Kurogane's one hand doesn't let go of her wrist while the other moves from her chin to her cheek then into her hair. Anna's free hand finds its way onto his chest and grips his shirt. She stands on the tips of her toes as he bends over. That's the only problem with him being so tall. But Anna doesn't mind.

His mouth releases hers but his face doesn't go far; their noses still touch. Anna doesn't say anything and tries to catch her breath. She's more than embarrassed and her heart is pounding in her chest. She's sure Kurogane can probably hear it if not feel her pulse under his figure tips. Her eyes fall away from his and his one hand leaves her hair.

"I…" she stammers, not sure what to say or if she should say anything at all. She brings herself to look up at him and when she does, he looks away, red to his cheeks. Anna smiles faintly and her eyes fall to her wrist still being gripped by his hand. She stares at the silver bangle and tries to figure out what to do next.

She doesn't know what to make of what just happened. She was aware of her attraction towards Kurogane but choose to overlook such feelings. She doesn't know what her feelings are towards him. She's attracted to him but he's a handsome man, he's rough around the edges but he's a good person, he's protective and seems to be rather reliable; so with all this, why wouldn't she be attracted to him? But what are her feelings for him? And what are his feelings for her?

She can't bring herself to ask.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So there you have it. Finally the first kiss after 60 chapters of obliviousness and bashfulness and the best I could do when came to some form of flirting without knowing if it's flirting or not. I think I made you wait longer than I planned and I'm so sorry about that. I want to thank animefreak653 for giving me the kick I needed to write this chapter. ;)<p>

I do want to apologize about this chapter being so long, though. I personally don't like long chapters but I hope the content in this one makes up for the longness of it.

I hope enjoyed this chapter and the story overall. Please review/comment. Thank you so much for reading.


	61. Oto XIII

Oto XIII

_She moves her hair to drape over her left shoulder. The red curls twist and turn. Odile crosses her right leg over her left and leans back in the chair. She looks over the paper in her hand and yawns. There's so much that needs to get done before night falls._

_There's a knock at the door and she calls for them to enter. A footman enters the room and bows deeply. "Councilmen Ivan von Rothbart requests a moment of your time, Your Highness," they say, still bent over._

_The thought makes Odile's skin crawl. She looks to the clock. She's to meet with the Council in less than an hour. _

_"What could that bug possibly want?" she sighs under her breath.  
><em>

_As much as she doesn't want to, she allows it. The footman holds the door open for Rothbart and the man walks into the room, his white hair in a long braid down his back and dressed in dark blue. He smiles at the footman, thanks him, and dismisses him. The footman takes his leave, closing the door behind him._

_Rothbart walks into the room, towards Odile. Odile sets the paper down and rest her elbow on the arm of the chair and leans her head against her fist. Her eyes are half open. She's irritated that he's here; it's only for appearance's sake that she allowed him in._

_He stops several feet from the desk she sits at. He bows gracefully with one hand on his chest. "Your Highness," he greets._

_"Rothbart," she greets._

_He stands up straight and tall. "I'm here on behalf of my fellow—"_

_She sighs, cutting him off. This irritates him and amuses her. "There's an assembly planed within in the hour. I'm sure whatever you have to say can wait till then."_

_"We were hoping to dispel this problem without having to gather."_

_This annoys her and she lets it show, but only for a moment. She notices Rothbart's reaction to her annoyance. He sucks in his breath and inches back. He amuses her. She grins and uncrosses her legs, leaning forward onto the desk. "This is about the expansion proposal, correct?" she questions, setting her elbows on the desktop._

_He nods his head._

_"I already declined the idea."_

_"I was sent to change your mind."_

_"That's not going to happen."_

_"And why is that?"_

_"We both know the answer to that."_

_He grits his teeth, pissed. "You're going to allow our relationship to hinder the greatness of your country?" he barks._

_Her eyebrow twitches and she closes her eyes. "Whatever this 'relationship' is between you and I is, is much too insignificant to make a difference in anything I do." A pause. "I gave Council the reasons of my veto at the last assembly. Her Majesty the Queen already agreed with my judgment."_

_There's a moment of silence._

_"About that," he says, slowly. "We, the Council, believe you to be manipulating Queen Odette."_

_Odile's indifferent expression doesn't falter. She opens one eye and looks to Rothbart. He seems to shrink in his skin and doesn't like it. He clenches his hands into fists and grits his teeth. "And what evidence do you have of this?" she asks, words cold as ice._

_"Queen Odette rarely attends assemblies," he explains through his teeth. The tension in the air is so thick that it'd be difficult for an outsider to breath. Odile wonders if she and Rothbart are just meant to hate each other; kind of like how some people are meant to love each other. On the other hand, she doesn't really care. She hates him. Period._

_The fact he hates her just as much makes it amusing. She doesn't find much else amusing._

_He goes on to explain that Odette is more like Odile's mouthpiece to the people, when it should be the other way around._

_"My sister and I have an arrangement," Odile says. "She's more of a people's person than I am." The statement makes Rothbart chuckle. Odile frowns and leans back in the chair, opening her eyes and casts them down to look at the desktop. "Tell me," she says, "What would happen if I accused the Council of manipulating me and Her Majesty?"_

_"Tsk," goes Rothbart. Odile grins._

_"Nothing," she answers then frowns. She looks up at him and stares him down. "I am not manipulating my sister. She left all matters of state in my care. And as far as I'm concerned, there's nothing to complain about; the people are happy and so are your bank accounts."_

_"You—"_

_Her glare silences him. "In my opinion, the Council is merely upset that I'm standing on my own, running the country of Rojus. Odette does what she can and I do everything else. This is how it's been for nearly a decade." She chuckles darkly. "The country's running so smoothly and is at the highest peak it's ever been so much so that you, the Council, want to expand into neighboring territories, even as far as into the lands of our distant allies. You want to reestablish the Rojustic Empire that crumbled over night oh so long ago." A pause. Her eyebrows pull in at the middle and she frowns. "I will not allow for such a thing to happen twice."_

_"Think of how this country will prosper! Rojus would reach an even higher height than ever before. We could take the whole bloody continent for ourselves!"_

_"Greed will get you nowhere."_

_He gulps and grits his teeth._

_Odile stands then. The desk sits on a platform so Odile stands taller than Rothbart, just how it should be. She's above him and always will be. "My word is finalized," she says, words like venom, "The expansion plan is scrapped. Nothing you can possibly say will convince me, or Her Majesty the Queen, otherwise."_

_Rothbart goes on to bark about the condition of the army. With very little conflict the soldiers have nothing to do. He says that they spend all their time training and becoming better soldiers. They've already built roads and bridges and such. There's nothing else for them to be doing. They are ready to march out. They're better and stronger than before. Taking down other kingdoms will be easy and maintaining an empire will be nothing for Her Highness the Crown Princess Odile to handle. He has the utmost confidence that Odile's pride will not allow for her to fail._

_"Is this you speaking or are you more whipped than I thought?" she scoffs._

_He grits his teeth. Then he grins darkly. "I thought someone as prideful as you would jump all over the chance to establish an empire."_

_Odile shakes her head and folds her arms across her chest. "You're right. Expanding Rojus would be an easy task for me and the General. I have confidence in my authority and the power of this country. However, there is a possibility I could fail and this country could crumble. It was a miracle that Rojus was able to pick its self up once before after the fall of the first empire. It is because of my pride that I will not allow for a second empire to rise and then fall." She looks at him, evenly, belittling him. "Or is it this: the Council wishes to expand the country into an empire only to have it crumble under the reign of Odette and me? By doing this, the people would be outraged and call for our authority to be striped and possibly our executions. Upon which the Council, who was opposed to idea of expansion the whole time, would come running in and reestablish the country as an oligarchy rather than a monarchy."_

_Rothbart challenges Odile with a glare of his own. Odile looks at him, indifferent and disgusted. "You coldhearted bitch!" he says through gritted teeth. "How can you be so prideful?"_

_Odile's slender shoulders begin to tremble. Rothbart can't see her face. He believes her to be crying, but knows better. She lets out a dark chuckle and soon bursts out into dark laughter. Her eyes level themselves on Rothbart and she grins wickedly. She says, "I thought you knew; my pride is my only companion."_

Anna's eyes flutter open then. Her eyes focus on the ceiling. The room is dark and her skin feels as if it's crawling. She drapes an arm over her face, covering her eyes. "A coldhearted bitch whose only companion is her pride," she whispers. "I was trying to forget that part."

That side of her, uncensored, was something only Rothbart witnessed. She hid it from everyone else, including Odette. Especially Odette. She'd never show her such an ungraceful face to her beloved sister, for fear that it'd lessen her opinion of her. Moreover, Rothbart was the only one that brought that side out of her. Rothbart didn't speak to anyone of that side of Odile. This side terrified him and she made sure to remind him why.

She wonders what Kurogane would think of that side of her.

Her hand falls over her mouth and she blushes.

Odette would use terms such as "like" or "like like" or "really like" for those she was attracted to. Anna's not sure what her feelings are for Kurogane or whether she even wants to think about them. She couldn't bring herself to ask Kurogane why he kissed her or what his feelings are towards her. She's not sure if she even wants to know. Maybe what happened just happened and didn't really have anything to it.

That thought causes a rather painful pinch in her heart.


	62. Oto XIV

Oto XIV

Anna balances a tray in one hand and hands the guest a menu with the other. She smiles and tells them that she'll be right back to take their orders. They smile, thank her, and she heads to another table. There, she sets down two cups of hot tea and three chocolate desserts. They thank her and ask for a glass of milk. Smiling to them, she returns to the bar where the princess and Mokona brew another pot of coffee but they seem to be struggling with it.

The café is full of customers, chatting, laughing, and eating and drinking. Both Anna and Sakura have been asking them if they've heard anything strange happening in Oto. Those who know anything say the same thing: the demons have been showing up in places they normally don't. No one, so far, has had any new information on the new type of demon.

"Ah! Anna-san!" exclaims the girl, frazzled. The machine used to make coffee beeps over and over, startling the girl.

With a sigh and a smile, Anna walks around the counter and presses one of the buttons on the machine. Anna smiles at the princess and she smiles back, relieved. Anna shows her how to brew a pot of coffee with the machine. "I'm assuming that you're world doesn't have machines like this," Anna says.

Sakura shakes her head. "Not that I can remember," she answers timidly.

The statement saddens Anna but she doesn't let it show. She smiles at the girl. "I'll take care of this," she says and points to one of the tables with three customers seated at it. "Can you bring them a glass of milk for me?" Then she points to another table. "And they need their orders taken; if you don't mind, of course."

The girl nods with a smile, happy to help. Mokona goes with her. They're both cheery this morning, despite being drunk last night. Anna thinks that they don't really remember too much of what happened though. She's impressed that Sakura doesn't have a massive hangover. Syaoran, on the other hand, has one. Every little sound seemed to make his head pound. Whether or not Fai has one is unsure. He's still in bed. Anna, Sakura, and Mokona opened the shop on their own.

Anna messes with the machine like Fai showed her. When she asked, he said that there weren't machines like this in his world. Anna didn't really get a straight answer when she asked him how he knows so much about running a café like this. The thought doesn't really bother her. She doesn't intend on questioning Sakura or Syaoran about their home world, since the princess doesn't remember much of it yet and she doesn't want to upset Syaoran. She wonders how much she can get out of Kurogane though. She wants to know more about him.

The thought echoes in Anna's head for a moment. Red crosses her cheeks and she covers a hand over her mouth. _I… I kissed him…_ she thinks, causing her head to spin. _Wait, no. He kissed me…_ She takes a deep breath and tries to concentrate on the coffee machine.

_I kissed Kurogane. _She groans to herself and steps back from the machine. She leans against the counter and closes her eyes, trying to cast the thought from her mind.

She fails.

She's kissed soldiers on the cheek before, thanking them for their outstanding service to the crown and country. All female monarchs do it; Mother, Odette, and those before them. So to her, the kiss on the cheek wasn't too much of a big deal though, unlike the other times, it made her heart race. She then recalls the moment before all that, when she leaned into him and he leaned in back.

He kissed her. He pulled her in and kissed her. And she kissed him back.

Anna slaps a hand on her forehead. She doesn't know what to do now. As much as she tries not to think about it, she thinks about it.

She thinks of this morning. Kurogane had gotten himself and Syaoran up and ready early. Anna was already up, too disturbed by her nightmares and thoughts to return to sleep. She set up the café and cleaned whatever she could. She would do this back at the cabin as well, when she couldn't sleep. Sometimes she would grab a book and read it in its entirety before heading to work.

Syaoran displayed signs of a hangover so Anna brewed a pot of coffee for him. She heard somewhere that it helps. Anna offered one to Kurogane, though he looked to be fine. When their eyes met, she was the one to look away. It was only a little bit ago that she was thinking of how it bothered her when he looked away. Now she's the one looking away.

Trying not to look at him, she asked him what he and Syaoran were going to do today, quietly as to not upset the boy's headache. Still not looking at Kurpgane, he said they were going to find swords. Syaoran had found a well known sword smith that that's where they were going to go. He explained that they'd start training right away and wouldn't be back till late. She looked at him then and she thinks he smirked.


	63. Oto XV

Oto XV

Anna picks up empty plates and cups and sets them on the tray. The café is empty at the moment. Fai said that before was the afternoon rush. He had gotten up a couple hours after the morning rush with a massive hangover. After some coffee and a mixture made by Mokona, he seems fine. It was amusing to see a happy-go-lucky man like Fai irritated with a pounding headache. He was jealous of the princess, who drank even more than him but seemed unaffected.

He stands behind the counter with Mokona, drying a plate. A cane rests against the bar next to him. He uses it to walk on his hurt ankle. The princess redresses a table with a clean table cloth. The last people sitting there knocked over a glass of juice.

As Anna walks to the counter, tray in hand, the front door opens. The princess prepares to welcome whoever as customers but instead yells Syaoran's name. Turning around, Anna finds the boy in the door way, covered in dirt and scratches, and dripping wet. The princess runs to his side as he walks into the café. He smiles as if nothing's wrong but Anna can see that he's sore.

Kurogane walks into the shop. Anna's gaze quickly looks away from him. _Damn it… _she thinks to herself. She needs to suck it up and get over it. But how can she get over a kiss like that or the thought's she having and the pain in the chest when she thinks those thoughts? Pushing the thoughts away for the moment, she sets the tray by the sink and rummages through the storage below it.

Fai asks if Syaoran and Kurogane ran into some oni. Syaoran says that they didn't. "I'm going to change," he says with a smile, heading for the stairs.

Sakura stands, her hands folded against her chest with worry all over her face. Anna sets a jar on the counter near her. "Ms. Sakura," she says. Mokona jumps onto her head. "Take this to him. It's healing ointment." She smiles.

"Okay!" the princess exclaims, taking the jar. She bows in thanks to Anna and Mokona jumps onto the girl's shoulder. They follow after Syaoran.

Kurogane takes a seat at the bar and Fai leans on the counter near him. Anna stands next to Fai. She walks around him and back to the sink. She begins to wash the dishes.

"So that was sword practice?" Fai asks.

"Weren't you drunk?" retorts Kurogane.

Fai grins and says, "I still had a little use of my wits."

"Really?" questions Anna.

Fai nods. "But when I woke up later, I was already in bed."

Kurogane glares at him. Fai grins in return.

Kurogane must really hate drunks. Anna wonders what she would be like drunk. She pushes the thought from her mind as soon as it enters it. She already thought this over; she doesn't like alcohol. Period.

Anna notices a sword on Kurogane's hip. The design of it is simple, compared to the one he gave up. The blade is long and the handle is dark blue, so is the sheath. Syaoran had a sword with him as well. The blade was shorter and the handle was a light copper, almost a gold color.

Fai nods and hobbles into the kitchen.

"You're a pretty harsh teacher," Anna teases Kurogane, finally looking at him.

"That's what the kid wanted," he explains, looking towards her. Their eyes meet and Anna's heart flips. She doesn't let the surprise show on her face however and she doesn't look away, though she really wants to. She can feel the red creep on her cheeks. She nods and smiles with her eyes closed.

"That makes sense," she says quietly. "We don't really have the time to take it slow." A pause. She thinks over what she just said and looks away from him, uncomfortable. With a sigh, she dries her hands with a towel and says, "Just don't hurt him too bad." She frowns. "As long as we're here, I can't heal him."

Kurogane mumbles.

"When you mumble like that, I can't understand you."

He groans. "I said it's a good thing you can't."

"And why is that?"

"He needs to learn how to get hurt."

She thinks this over for a moment then nods, understanding. "That makes sense. However, we can't really afford one of you manly fighters getting hurt to the point you can't fight."

Fai exits the kitchen with a tray of food then. With a grin he sets it in front of Kurogane. He looks at Anna who dries the plates, then to Kurogane who begins to eat. Then he looks back to Anna and back to Kurogane. This irritates Kurogane.

"What?" he barks.

Fai grins. "Oh, nothing," he says.

Anna coughs and moves her hair from her face. Without the tie, it falls into her face constantly. She used to wear it down back at the palace, but that's when it was styled in a way that her hair didn't fall into her face. She cut her hair short after she left and has more or less let it grow naturally since then. Now, when she wears it down, the hair gets in her face and annoys her. This is why she prefers to wear it up in a ponytail. She tried to find something to hold her hair back but everything she found looked stupid.

"Oruha said that the oni of Oto have odd shapes so the hunters can easily identify them," says Anna, changing the subject. "Something about the statement bothers me."

Fai nods in agreement. He stands straight, balancing his weight on the cane. "I was wondering about that too," he says. "I was wondering… Are the oni… Created on purpose?" He goes on to justify his theory. He says that it seems like the oni in this country are managed for the benefit of the oni hunters, since the city hall seems know all the movements of the oni.

"Thinking of it that way," says Anna, "I can understand why city hall knows all the movements of the demons." A pause. "Despite all that though, recently the demons have started to act strange."

"And…" says Fai.

"… A new type of oni has appeared, right?" says Kurogane with a devilish grin.

"This all might have something to do with Ms. Sakura's feather," finishes Anna. She grips the plate in her hand. _The sooner we find the feather, the sooner we can leave,_ she thinks.

"Hmmm. Is something bothering you, Wifey-chan?" questions Fai, leaning in towards her, trying to get a better look at her face. She moves away, annoyed with how close he is.

She shakes her head. "No. I'm fine."

He continues to look at her, grinning with his eyes open. "Are you sure?"

She can feel Kurogane looking at her now too. With a sigh, she confesses, "Not having my magic makes me uncomfortable." A pause. "I know that you don't use your magic, Fai, but are you able to?" Her words are slow and she doesn't look at him. She has a feeling that he'll find a way around answering the question.

The front door opens then.

Anna curses under her breath.

"Welcome to our café!" coos Fai, standing up straight, throwing his one arm in the air. He smiles at Anna and says that he'll take this table. Anna nods and lets him pass behind her.

From what she's been able to gather, Fai's running from something too. But what's he's running from is different, much different, than what Anna is running from. Anna thinks that it's something that can come after him; that's why he wants to travel worlds to avoid his own. The thought upsets her.

A shiver runs up her spine. Her fingers start to ache and she warps her arms around herself.

For both her sake and Fai's, it'll be better to move worlds. Fai needs to keep moving and Anna needs to have her magic. She never thought she'd be without it and now that she is, she doesn't like it. Also, she's not sure how her time for Yuko is being measured but if it's based on the number of worlds she travels to then she wants to move to the next, then the one after that and so on as fast as possible. Then again, what will she do when she returns to Rojus? She should take back the throne but is that what she wants? Isn't it because of her promise to Odette that she stayed away? Or—She bites her lip. She doesn't want to think about it.

"Something the matter?" Kurogane questions, leaning his arms against the counter.

His voice startles her and she looks at him, shock on her face. Their eyes meet and red crosses her face and a little crosses his. Neither looks away.

She smiles weakly at Kurogane and quietly says, "I'm fine." He frowns and she notices his hand twitch. "It's nothing you need to worry about." She bites her lip and looks to where Fai is. He stands at a table with four customers, smiling and taking their orders. The princess and Syaoran are still upstairs. She wonders if Syaoran is all right, then again he has Sakura treating him. _He's just fine,_ she tells herself, amused.

Another couple walks in and Fai seats them. Anna should probably get to work. Facing Kurogane, she smiles and asks whether or not he and Syaoran are going to go out again.

"No, probably not," he answers.

She nods and smiles with her eyes closed. "In that case, you should probably take it easy, if only for a little while."

"Huh," he goes, a little taken aback. "Yeah."

The front door opens then.

"Anna-chan!" coos Fai.

"Yes," she calls, looking away from Kurogane. "I'll be with you in moment." The customers smile and chat amongst themselves. Moving a lock of hair from her face, she smiles at Kurogane again and heads to the customers.


	64. Oto XVI

Oto XVI

Anna sweeps the café floor, humming to a song of her mother's. The shop is quiet and empty. They closed it today for some down time as well as time to restock the place. Fai and the princess went out with Mokona to do some shopping and Kurogane and Syaoran left early for more training. Anna's in the shop alone now, passing the time with mindless cleaning.

As much as she tries not to think about it, her mind wanders to the kiss. She groans out loud. It's at times like this, she's had very few times like this before, that she wishes for someone to talk to. The thought makes her stop moving and she drops her arms and shoulders. Her gaze falls to the floor.

It's at times like this that wishes for Odette to be here. She wants to share this with her, just like how she shared her first kiss with Siegfried with her. Odette was so happy and giddy about it.

"_It… It was perfect, Lile!" Odette sings, dancing around the room with a blush and a smile. "It was gentle and passionate and perfect! I thought I was going to die of happiness!"_

_Odile laughs under her breath. "You really like him, huh?" she asks. _

_Odette skips over to her and wraps her arms around her sister's shoulders. "I think I'm in love with him!"_

A whimper escapes her and her knees grow weak, and since no one's here, she gives in and falls to the floor. Her eyes fall onto her lap. "Hey, Odette," she says quietly. "I know you can't hear me, you're a more than worlds away, but I have something I want to share with you… I kissed someone the other day." She chuckles quietly and continues, "I bet you didn't see that coming, despite your hopes that someday it would." Her grip on the broom tightens and she looks up to the ceiling and allows tears to roll down the sides of her face. "His name is Kurogane. He's a bit rough around the edges but… He's not a bad person. I actually think he's a pretty good person. You probably would think that he's not my type." She chuckles darkly and wipes her face. She sighs and shakes her head. Standing, she calls herself an idiot.

Another hour passes before the princess, Fai, and Mokona return with bags of goods. Anna helps them carry the bags into the main house.

Fai looks around, amazed. "You did an amazing job cleaning, Wifey-chan!" coos Fai.

"Yeah! The place looks like its sparkling!" adds Mokona. "You really are a wifey-chan!"

"You're amazing, Anna-san!" smiles the princess.

Anna smiles at them and thanks them for their compliments, ignoring the nickname and the comment about the nickname. "So are you, Ms. Sakura," she says. "You carried all this?" The princess nods with a smile and starts to carry the bags back into the kitchen, Mokona on her head. Anna picks one up and turns for the kitchen when Fai grabs her arm. She looks back at him and he smiles, saying that he has something her needs to tell her.

"And what's that?" she asks.

He lets her go and says, "The oni have started to attack civilians."

This news takes her aback. "I thought they didn't attack civilians."

"They don't. From what I could gather, no one knows what's going on."

Anna ponders this for a moment. The demons are acting stranger than when they first got here. Could the princess's feather have something to do with it? It has to be her feather. Why else would this be happening? Anna can't wrap her head around it. "What about city hall?" she asks.

Fai shrugs. "It seems they don't know much either." A pause. "We," he points to himself, then to Anna, then to the princess and Mokona who now leave the kitchen, "Need to be careful when we're out, since the puppy pair is training now." He grins. "And when their finished, they're bound to be hungry. So let's fix them something good, 'kay?" He grins.

"Yes!" exclaims the princess with a smile.

Anna nods in agreement and bends to grab another bag.

Fai pouts his lip. "I would've bought some liquor but Big Puppy would get mad at us!" he complains.

" 'Us'?" Anna questions, raising an eyebrow.

His face displays false astonishment that Anna would "betray" him.

Anna only smiles and heads for the kitchen.

After everything is unpacked and put away, Anna, Fai, and the princess, with Mokona's supervision, begin to prep for opening in the early evening. Anna wears a bandana on her head to hold her hair out of her face while cooking. She stands with a large metal bowl tucked under her arm, stirring the batter. The princess kneads bread dough and Fai chops veggies while he cooks something on the stove. Mokona sits on his head, sprinkling seasoning in when Fai asks.

"Did you enjoy your shopping trip, Princess?" Anna asks.

The girl nods with a wide smile. "Yes," she answers. "It was nice to get out a bit."

"I'm sure it was."

"Ah! And on the way back," she says, "We ran into a pair of kittens." She smiles at the memory. "They were really cute and friendly. They had odd ears though."

"Huh? How so?"

The girl tries to use her hands to show Anna how the ears looked on her own head, getting some dough into her hair. "Like this!" she says. Anna chuckles and the princess smiles.

Once everything is done and ready to go, Fai flips the store sign to read, "Open." It doesn't take long for customers to file in and fill the place with chatter and laughter. A lot of them are returning customers. Anna and Sakura greet them by saying, "Welcome back."

Mokona rides on the princess's shoulders and Fai stands behind the counter, serving tea and coffee to those who sit at the bar.

Setting down several plates of cake, Anna notices that it's gotten dark outside. She wonders how Kurogane and Syaoran are doing. The customers thank her and she asks if there is anything else she can get them. They say they're fine when Anna spots a familiar figure outside, with a not-so-happy look on his face. Anna bows her head to the customers and heads for the counter to fill the order of another table.

Kurogane walks into the shop then, four large sacks of flour on his shoulders.

Mokona squeals. "One of the puppies is home!" it sings, jumping from Sakura to hop over to him.

"Welcome back!" greets the princess.

Anna catches eye contact with him and smiles. "Welcome back," she says.

"Yeah," he grumbles and walks to the counter.

"Welcome home!" coos Fai with a grin. "Thanks for the labor!"

"Next time have the people at the shop deliver it!" he complains, dropping the sacks onto the counter.

Fai drapes himself over them and says, "But it's cheaper this way. That's why I asked Syaoran-kun to pick it up."

"Um…" says the princess, inching over to the counter. "Where is Syaoran-kun?" she asks.

Anna looks around then and notices that the boy isn't with Kurogane. Since Kurogane was returning, she figured the boy would be too.

"Still in training," Kurogane answers.

"Excuse me!" calls a woman at a table.

"Coming!" answer Sakura, heading for the table.

That reminds Anna. She turns around and begins to make two cups of coffee.

"Gak!" goes Kurogane. Turning back around, she finds Fai grabbing Kurogane's shirt and sniffing it.

"What are you doing?" questions Anna.

Fai grins widely. "I smell alcohol!"

Mokona begins to worm its way through Kurogane's shirt as well, trying to smell the alcohol. "Did you stop somewhere on your way back?" it asks.

Kurogane says that he stopped at Clover one more time before coming back.

"Aww!" goes Fai. "You're so lucky! I wanted to go for a drink!"

"Don't you ever drink again!" barks Kurogane.

Anna chuckles and sets the coffee cups onto a tray. "What was it you went there for, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I wanted to hear more about his new oni," he explains.

Fai lets his shirt go and stands up right behind the counter. He begins to make a cup tea for Kurogane. Anna looks to the table that the coffee is for and finds them chatting away. She decides that they can wait a bit longer, but not too much longer so the drinks don't get cold.

Kurogane explains that Oruha said that the new oni is shaped like a human and what he wanted to know is how she knew he was an oni.

"So what did she say?" Fai asks, setting a cup in front of him.

"In this country," Kurogane goes on, "It's forbidden for humans to engage in any argument more heated than a petty shouting match. But this guy was using oni to attack oni hunters. And the only one with oni on his side must be oni himself."

Anna nods, understanding. The idea makes since but is still somewhat off to. Then again, back in Hanshin, Kurogane said there are monsters in his world. There aren't such monsters in Anna's world, not in Rojus anyway.

Anna excuses herself then and brings the coffee to the table and is called to another. Then she seats new customers to a table and takes their drink orders.

After some time, as it gets later and later into the evening, the shop begins to empty out as customers leave. There are only two tables left with customers and the bar in empty.

The door opens then and another set of returning customers enter the shop. It's the oni hunters Yuzuriha and Shiyu and their dog, their first customers. Soma enters with them.

"Welcome back!" the princess calls to them.

"It's so good to be back!" goes the girl named Yuzuriha. "Please tell me you have your yummy cake!"

The princess nods with a smile and the girl squeals, skipping over to the bar counter. The man follows her and catches eye contact with Anna. He nods in greeting and Anna smiles back.

Anna turns to one of the remaining tables and takes their Sakura Money Coin. She smiles and says she'll be right back. Returning to the counter, she finds Fai and the princess serving the oni hunters. Fai notices the Coin in Anna's hand and reaches out so she can give it to him, and she does. The other table calls. Sakura prepares to head their way but Anna stops her, saying that she'll take care of it. Fai returns the Money Coin then before turning into the kitchen to get cake for the oni hunters.

Anna walks up to the table that called and they say the food was delicious and hands her their Money Coin. Before heading back to the counter, she returns the other Coin to the other table and then they leave the shop.

Back at the counter, she hands Fai the other Coin and he takes it. He turns away for a moment then returns it to her and she returns it to the customers, who then take their leave. Now the shop is empty except for Yuzuriha, Shiyu, and Soma. And the girl's dog.

Yuzuriha squeals with a mouth full of cake. "Why does everything you guys make have to be so good!" she says. "Not that I'm complaining! I love this cake!"

Fai chuckles and points to the princess, who stands behind the counter next to him, then to Anna who stands on the other side. "Sakura-chan and Wifey-chan made it today," he says with a smile.

"Wifey-chan!" goes the girl, turning in her seat to face Anna, her mouth gapping. Soma also turns in her seat, shock on her face. Anna smiles back with her eyes closed. Kurogane, who sits with his back leaning on the counter, takes a drink from his cup and Anna notices his eyebrow twitches. She's not sure if that means he's angry or fighting a chuckle.

Anna explains that "Wifey-chan" is just a nickname and that's she's nobodies wife. "Please call me Anna," she says. From the corner of her eye, she sees Kurogane give a smirk and she glares at him. "Is there a problem, Big Puppy?" she says to him. He shoots a glare at her and she sticks her tongue out at him. He frowns and looks the other way with a "tsk" sound. Anna chuckles under her breath, amused.

Soma smiles weakly, not sure what to make of such a name. "That's quite a nickname," she says.

"But it fits her perfectly!" coos Mokona from Kurogane's shoulder. The white creature jumps from him and into Anna's arms. "She cleans and cooks and takes care of us like a wifey! Mokona liked the name 'mommy-chan' but 'wifey-chan' works so much better!"

Anna pinches Mokona's cheek then. It looks up at her with a wide smile. Anna smiles back. Looking back at Soma, she says, "I didn't have too much say in it."

Soma smiles back.

The shop door opens then. Anna turns to face it, finding Syaoran and another boy next to him, kneeling on the ground. They're out of breath and battered. Yuzuriha and Soma stand from their seats, ready for whatever may come next. The man and Kurogane don't move, though the man turns in his seat to get a better look. Anna steps to the side, next to Kurogane.

"What happened?" Fai asks.

The other boy is the one to answer. His words are quick as he tries to catch his breath. "The new type of oni… We saw it!"

This statement sparks everyone's interest.

"You fought it?" questions Yuzuriha.

"No," says the boy, standing now. "He controlled way too many oni to get to him!" A pause for breath. "We did all we could to just runaway!" Another pause. "But he's… the most powerful thing I've ever seen."

Anna's eyes fall to Syaoran's face. He looks out of it, unmoving and lost in thought. Looking to the princess, she finds a worried look on her face. Anna moves Mokona to sit on her head and she walks around the counter. Setting a hand on the girl's shoulder, she looks up at her. Smiling, Anna asks if she'll help her prepare some drinks for Syaoran and the other boy. The princess nods and helps by grabbing two cups. Anna pours the drinks and hands them to the princess. Sakura takes the drinks to Syaoran and the other boy.

Soma and Yuzuriha stand near the two boys, trying to pry more information from them. Shiyu stands near Yuzuriha now. The boy, Ryuo, explains that ran into other oni hunters fighting Ha level oni. However, the oni were much too strong to just be at Ha level. They then spotted a man sitting in one of the cherry blossom trees. The man then sent too many oni at them and he and Syaoran were forced to run away.

Anna tries to think this all over but she's not very knowledgeable when it comes to monsters. She's tempted to ask Kurogane about it but he knows as much as she does about the oni.

Anna watches as the princess asks Syaoran if he's all right. She asks if something is the matter.

It takes a moment, but the boy nods. Looking up to face the whole room, he says, "The man who was with the oni, he may be the same man that I know. He's the one that taught me how to fight."


	65. Oto XVII

Oto XVII

It took a long while for everyone to calm down after Syaoran's comment. It was mostly Yuzuriha and Ryou who were frantic about it. No one knew what to make out of it. Syaoran wasn't too sure what to make out of it either. He was confused and hadn't thought it through completely. Ryou was pressing him with questions but Anna managed to calm him down. She told him that Syaoran needs his rest, and so does everyone else. She said that nothing can be done at the moment and sent everyone home. They'll figure something out later.

The only thing Syaoran was able to tell them was the man's name. Seishiro.

After the other oni hunters left, Syaoran still had a worried look on his face, which was upsetting the princess. Anna told him that there's nothing to worry about, that they'll figure everything out in the morning so he should go to bed. Sakura also tried to reassure him. The boy just smiled, agreed and headed up stairs. Anna sent the princess after with him the healing ointment. They both went to bed after that.

Anna and Fai cleaned and closed the shop, with some help from Kurogane. Fai and Mokona then said their goodnights and headed to bed as well. They didn't speak of what Syaoran said.

Now Kurogane and Anna are the only ones still up downstairs. Kurogane sits on the steps at the foot of the front door while Anna makes a cup of tea. Before heading out, she takes inventory of the medical supplies. If this new oni is as strong as Ryou says, she'll have to get more supplies. She doesn't want to think negatively about the possible outcomes of whatever is going to happen, but they need to be prepared. And Syaoran is going to need support. This new oni looked just like the man who taught him how to fight, that's what he said, only he spun the words to make it sound like that this new oni is the person, not a lookalike. Anna's not sure how that's possible but then again, she's traveling worlds now and it's not impossible for someone to also being doing the same. For Syaoran's sake, she hopes this man is only a lookalike but she knows better than to think like that. The look on the boy's face gave it all away. The new oni is more than likely the same man who taught him.

With a sigh, she picks up the cup and heads for the front door. She hands the cup of tea down to Kurogane. He looks up at her and then to the cup. He takes it and mumbles a reply.

Taking her seat next to him, Anna chuckles. "You're welcome," she says.

"Thanks," he says.

She smiles and leans her elbows on her knees and rests her chin in her hands. The sky is clear of clouds and the moon is full. It's been full since they got here. Something about that is wrong; then again, this is a different world then her own. This world only has one moon after all.

She brings this up to Kurogane and asks if the moons of his world wax and wane.

He takes a drink from his cup before answering. "There's only one moon," he says. "And yeah, it does."

"One?" Anna questions. "How does that work exactly?" He groans and Anna chuckles. "My world has two moons, that's why I'm asking."

This takes him aback. "Two? How the hell does that work?"

Anna drops her hands from her chin and explains that one moon is red and the other is white. "The red one is seen during the day along with the sun. The white one only shines at night, when the sun is no longer in the sky. The red moon is always full, or nearly so, while the white moon has eight phases. Astronomers believe the red moon is too far away to be affected by the sun or have effect on the tides, like the white moon." She looks at Kurogane, who looks at her with a frown. Anna smiles weakly. "I don't really get it either."

He sighs and looks up at the moon. "There's one moon in Nihon and it's white. It has eight phases too." He frowns. "This one hasn't changed since we got here."

"So you've noticed that too," she says, "I find that to be rather odd."

Kurogane nods in agreement, taking another drink of his tea. "Two moons, huh," he grumbles. "How many suns?"

"One. You?"

"One."

Anna's minds wonders to whether if all worlds have a sun. Then a memory of her and Odette crosses her mind. She closes her eyes and pictures it. Odette never liked to study so Odile would help her, or rather do the work for her. Odile would go over all of Odette's studies before showing Odette how to do it herself. They often sat under a tree in the garden of the east courtyard. The tree was large and always full of star-shaped leaves. They would sit underneath it and the sun would shines through the leaves, casting a patchwork of light on them. Odile would sit with her legs crosses, the book in her lap, while Odette lay on her belly with a notepad and a pen. She would ask countless questions until she understood what was being taught. She would do it over and over again until she got it right.

Anna lets out a chuckle.

"What's so funny?" questions Kurogane.

"Hmmm?" she goes, turning to face him, eyes open. She was lost in the memory. Her head rest in her hands again. "Oh. It's nothing," Anna answers, smiling faintly. Kurogane frowns and she notices his hand twitch.

He looks away from her, annoyed.

She sighs, a little disappointed. Her mind wonders to the kiss. She and Kurogane haven't talked about it yet. Anna's not sure if she's been ignoring the topic with him or not. She's been busy working in the shop and he's be hunting with and training Syaoran so they haven't really had the time to talk about it. She came to terms with the fact they might just not get to talking about it. The only time she wasn't working and Kurogane wasn't busy was after the shop closed and Syaoran and the princess went to bed. It was the night after the kiss and Fai stayed up late working in the kitchen and Anna ended up going to bed before him and Kurogane, who was polishing his sword. She probably could've brought it up but didn't want to, not in front of Fai. She already has to deal with the nickname, she doesn't want to have to put up with any teasing from him about her and Kurogane. Anna's pretty sure Kurogane is thinking the same thing, since he didn't bring it up either. Or that's what she wants to think.

To be honest, Anna's surprised with both her and Kurogane's behavior. It's nothing but empty excuses. She just doesn't know what to do next. She's never been this flustered about something before. Is it normal to just not talk about something like that?

She lets her one hand fall and the other covers her face. Her fingertips fiddle with the bandana on her head and she decides to take it off. She folds it into a small square and sets it next to her. To her annoyance, a lock of her red hair falls from behind her ear and into her face. Before she can move it, Kurogane brushes his hand against her cheek. She freezes at his touch and her heartbeat speeds up. Red flushes her cheeks.

Kurogane tucks the runaway lock of hair behind her ear and leaves his hand on her cheek. Anna turns her face towards him slowly. It takes a moment for her to look up at him and when she does, her heart jumps. His face it only inches from hers now.

He presses his lips against hers. Anna's head is set spinning and it's the first kiss all over again. All she can think about is him.

After a little while he pulls away and leaves their noses touching. Anna's face is flushed and Kurogane's cheeks are a little red as well. Their eyes are open and they gaze at each other. It makes Anna uncomfortable and she turns her gaze down but Kurogane doesn't move his hand.

"I…" she whispers. She doesn't know what to say. She's more confused than she was before.

Kurogane opens his mouth to say something then doesn't. He thinks for a moment before saying, eyes still on her, "Is this okay?"

Anna bites her lip. She doesn't have an answer. It's not that she doesn't like it; it's just that she's still very confused. But is there really a reason to be? Maybe she's just over thinking it. She's never really been one to just go with the flow. That was something Odette was good at doing.

"It's a yes or no question," he presses.

Anna lets out a huff and shakes her head slightly, with a faint smile. She thinks for a moment, still not looking up at him.

Leaning forward, he presses his forward against Anna's. "You're a pain in the ass." He smirks.

"I should be calling you that," Anna teases, looking up at him. She's not sure what to make of what's going on but she doesn't mind it. She lets out a chuckle. She's still confused but not as flustered. She's decided to just go with it. She's hoping a little bit of Odette's spontaneous nature rubbed off on her after all the years they were together. When she thinks about it, she finds this situation more amusing than confusing. She finds Kurogane amusing; just one more reason why she likes so much. She smiles and nods her head. She leans in and kisses him. "Yes," she says. "This is okay."

Kurogane gives a smirk. "Good," he says, leaning in and pressing his lips to hers again, his hand traces down her face so his thumb rests on her chin and causes her lips to part.

Anna can feel him smile against her. Her heart flips and she likes the feeling. She smiles and leans into him. Her hand finds its way to the sleeve of his hakama. She grips it and uses it to balance herself. Kurogane doesn't seem to mind. Tentatively, her fingers trace up his arm and around his wrist.

She became lost in him and he was lost in her.

Anna's not sure how much time passed but she finally breaks away from him. She doesn't want to but she needs to be able to breathe properly. Her gaze falls downward and she smiles with a chuckle. She's not too confused anymore and when she thinks for her feelings for him, her chest doesn't hurt. She's not sure how she knows but she does. Kurogane doesn't need to say it out loud.

Kurogane's hand falls from her cheek and to her shoulder. He kisses her forehead and Anna looks up at him. He smiles but it looks more like a smirk.

Anna smiles back. She's happy. It's been so long since she's felt happy. _This must have been how Odette felt,_ she thinks. The thought makes her blush and her smiles widen.

"Hey," says Kurogane.

"Yes?" says Anna.

He grumbles and leans back away from her, letting her go. He reaches into his shirt and pulls out a small brown paper bag. "Here," he says, handing it to Anna.

Anna takes it, taken aback. "What's this?"

He folds his arms in front of his chest. "If you don't want it, give it back."

Anna opens her mouth for a comeback but bites her tongue. She looks at him with a raised eyebrow.

"Just open it already!" he barks, looking away from her.

Anna lets out a deep breath and opens the package. Turning it upside down, whatever is inside falls out into her hand. It's a hair band. The band itself is white but there's a little silver bird attached to it. The bird's wings are open as if it were flying.

She looks up at him, shock on her face, and finds him looking at her. "That thing you were wearing before just looked stupid," he explains.

She lets out a chuckle and nods her head. She thought so too. She smiles and says, "Thank you." She pulls her hair back and ties the band into place. She smiles at him again. "It's perfect."

He smiles back.

She leans in and kisses him on the cheek.

_This is definitely okay, _she thinks.


	66. Oto XVIII

Oto XVIII

The scent of pancakes and coffee fills the café. It's a slow morning and the café is empty. There were several customer earlier but they were in and then out. Anna stands behind the counter, drinking a cup of coffee. Fai works next to her, flipping pancakes for breakfast. Mokona sits on the counter watching him and cheering him on. The creatures head moves up and down as the pancake do.

The princess ran upstairs only a moment ago to fetch Syaoran for breakfast. Kurogane sits on the other side of the counter, eating his breakfast. Anna catches eye contact with him while he takes a drink of his tea. She smiles and he smirks from behind his glass.

Things are better this time around. She's able to look at him. She's just going with it and not over thinking it. She likes him and this is okay.

"You're not eating," he states, not too happy about it.

"I'm not hungry," she answers. Kurogane narrows his eyes at her and Anna remembers that time on the country of Jade when they sat in the pub. She wasn't eating so Kurogane made her. She moves her eyes from him and makes a point of not looking at him. She's not hungry and has never been a big breakfast person.

"You should eat something, Wifey-chan!" coos Mokona. The creature bounds over to her and jumps onto her head. "Fai's pancakes are yummy!"

Anna smiles up at Mokona. "I'm sure they are but—" Fai shoves a fork fuli of pancake into her mouth. Mokona lets out a giggle and Fai grins widely. He lets go of the fork, leaving it in Anna's mouth.

"You should eat more, Wifey-chan," says Fai. "I rarely see you eat a full meal."

Anna takes the fork from her mouth, chews the pancake and shallows. "You guys have a hard time taking 'no' for an answer," she whispers.

"It's only because we care about you!" sings Fai, draping his arms around Anna's shoulder.

Anna pokes the fork in his cheek and his hold loosens. "The pancakes are burning," she tells him. She can see smoke rising from the pancakes on the griddle.

Removing his arms, he turns around and dashes over to save them. "Oh no!" he exclaims. His ankle is much better than before. He doesn't need to the cane to walk. However, it's still bothering him from what Anna can tell.

Anna smiles to herself and takes a sip of her coffee. She's really starting to enjoy this journey. It's at times like this, these peaceful times, that she forgets what she's supposed to be doing. She's supposed to be helping Syaoran search and find Sakura's feathers. Her gaze falls to the silver bangle that Yuko gave her. She doesn't know when it'll break but she hopes it isn't soon. This thought amuses her since only a little while ago she was thinking the opposite. She smiles to herself.

"Hey, Anna-chan?" says Mokona, leaning over her head to look at her face.

"Yes, Mokona?" Anna asks, looking up at the white bunny creature.

"Where did this hair tie come from?"

"Kurogane got it for me." Right after she says it, she bites her lip, wishing she said something else.

"Ooh!" snickers Fai. He gives Kurogane a cat's grin. "Well, aren't you a real dog, Big Puppy!"

"Shut up!" Kurogane barks at him. "And enough with the 'Big Puppy'!"

Mokona giggles and jumps from Anna's head to the counter.

Syaoran and the princess come downstairs then and walk up to the counter. "Good morning," says Syaoran. "I'm sorry I'm late."

"Not a problem!" replies Fai, serving up a few pancakes for him. "You're just in time for fresh pancakes!"

"Good morning!" says Mokona. It smiles up at the princess and she smiles back at it. "Big Puppy went ahead and ate all his up!" it complains mockingly.

"I eat when the food is ready," Kurogane says, taking a drink of his tea. "I don't see any problem in that."

"Wah! You act so manly, just like a ninja!" Mokona coos.

"I AM A NINJA!" screams Kurogane, grabbing Mokona and sandwiching the creature between his fists. Mokona just giggles and continues to tease him.

"Ninja?" Anna says under her breath. That must be what he is, kind of like how warriors in her world are called knights. She referred to him as a warrior and he didn't correct her or anything so didn't think much of the proper titles. So warriors like Kurogane are called ninjas. Maybe she'll ask him about that later.

"Save me!" Mokona yells playfully.

"Here you go!" coos Fai, setting plates of pancakes in front of Syaoran and Sakura.

"Thank you very much!" they say at the same together. They look at each, surprised that they spoke at once. They smile at each other and the princess says, "Let's eat!"

Setting down her coffee, Anna prepares cups of tea for them. Setting the cups near them, they thank her and Syaoran takes a drink of his right away. "You're welcome," says Anna with a smile.

"Here," says Fai, handing a plate with a pancake with syrup to Anna.

She puts her hands up to gesture that she's fine. "Really, I'm not hungry," she says.

Fai pouts his lip. Then he grins widely. "Oh, come on!" he coos, cutting a piece of the pancake. Anna braces herself, prepared to defend herself from him shoving the fork in her mouth again. "I'll feed you if I have too!"

Anna slaps her hand over her mouth and takes a step back. She would just suck it up and eat just to shut him up but she doesn't want to. She's not a big breakfast person because everyone thinks that sweet things should be eaten for breakfast. Anna likes sweets and loves chocolate but doesn't want to eat such things first thing in the morning. It just makes her sick and ruins the rest of her day.

"Say 'ah!'" Fai presses. Anna frowns and shakes her head. Fai gives a grin and says, "Would you prefer that Kuropo feed you?"

Mokona squeals as Kurogane pulls its cheek. "Just give it a rest already!" barks Kurogane. "If she doesn't want to eat then she doesn't want to eat."

Anna nods her head in agreement.

"I thought you were on my side with this one!" complains Fai.

"There are no sides!"

Fai sighs in surrender and turns away from Anna.

"Mokona needs help!" the creature squeals. Mokona hangs by its ears as Kurogane pulls its cheek. "Save me, Wifey-chan!"

Anna lets out a chuckle and catches eye contact with Kurogane, who continues to pull Mokona's cheek. Looking to Mokona, she finds it smiling and giggling. She drops her hand a little and says, "I'm starting to think you enjoy bein—"

Fai shoves a fork full of pancake into Anna's mouth.

She faces him, eyes wide, with the fork hanging from her mouth.

Fai throws his hands in the air and gives a squeal of victory. Behind him, Anna catches the princess chuckling and Syaoran, for the sake of being polite, trying not to chuckle. She hears Mokona squeal is victory as well. Anna slaps a hand on her face and her eyebrow twitches. With two of her fingers, she grips the bridge of her nose between her eyes. She can't believe she let that happen. Turning away from Fai, who returns to the griddle, Anna pulls the fork from her mouth. There's no point is fighting back. Next time she'll just suck it up and eat.

Looking to Kurogane, who doesn't know what to make of what just happened, she asks, "So, what are you and Syaoran going to do today?"

He leans his elbows on the counter, allowing Mokona to runaway and jump into Fai's arms. He shrugs his shoulders.

Anna turns to Syaoran and asks him if he has plans for the day.

He nods his head. "I want to go to city hall," he says.

Anna nods, understanding.

The boy finishes his breakfast and he and Kurogane prepare to head out.

"Good luck!" coos Fai and Mokona simultaneously.

Sakura nods her head. "Yes!" she says. "Please be careful." Syaoran nods with a smile and says that he will.

Looking at Kurogane, Anna smiles and says, "Good luck."

"Yeah," he says, looking away. He stomps off through the door. He waves sluggishly at her on his way out. Syaoran follows after him.

Fai claps his hands together and says, "Well then, let's get to work!"

The princes smiles widely. "Let's!" she agrees.

"Yeah!" coos Mokona.

Anna smiles and nods her head.

The princess and Mokona start to set the tables. Anna helps Fai clean up the counter from breakfast. It doesn't take them long to be ready for opening. Shortly after they open, customers begin to file in. There is a rush of customers for a few hours then it dies down again and the café empties out. Anna now sweeps the floor around the tables and Fai cleans in the kitchen. The princess and Mokona are washing dishes in the sink behind the counter. The princess moves quickly so she can move to the next task.

"You don't have to hurry like that, Princess," Anna says.

The girl wipes her forehead and smiles. "Okay," she says, "But I'm almost finished anyway."

Anna smiles. "You're such a hard worker." She turns and continues to sweep.

"I can hardly do anything for you guys as my traveling companions," the girl explains. "So anything I can do I want to do. And so today, if only just a little, I'd like to bear my share of everyone's… burden… and pain…"

"Sakura!" screams Mokona.

Anna turns around and finds the girl no longer standing in front of the sink. "Sakura?" she calls.

"It's all right!" calls Fai.

Anna quickly walks to the end of the counter. She finds the girl fast asleep in Fai's arms. She smiles and sighs in relief. She walks and kneels next to him. "I'll take her," she offers. Fai smiles and allows for Anna to lift the girl. Anna carries the girl, bridal style, to the couch. Sakura seems much too light but maybe that's just how she is.

Fai heads upstairs to grab a blanket for the girl. Mokona hops along next to Anna to the couch. Anna sets the girl down and Mokona jumps onto the arm by the girl's head. "How is Sakura-chan?" it asks.

Anna rests her hand on her head. "She just fell asleep is all," she answers. Anna brushes the hair from her face. "She's been working so hard and has only been sleeping at night. She's still not fully herself yet so she needs to rest more."

Mokona nods, understanding, but its expression sad.

Anna pokes it in the belly and it giggles. "Syaoran is working very hard to get her feathers back. Ms. Sakura will be better in no time."

Mokona smiles and nods in agreement.

Fai reenters the room then with a blanket in his arms. He walks up next to Anna and drapes the blanket over the girl. He kneels down next to her and turns to face Anna. Anna faces him and he gives her a wicked smile. "So you and Kurger Burger, huh?" he says, nudging her in the arm with his elbow.

Anna blushes slightly remembering what happened last night.

"Ha!" goes Fai, pointing to her face. "You're blushing!" He grins. "What naughty things have you two been up to?"

"Yeah!" goes Mokona. "Spill all the dirty details!"

Anna's face goes red and she slaps a hand over her nose and mouth, trying to hide how much she's blushing. "What kind of question is that?" she mumbles. She has no intention of answering it.

Fai chuckles and smiles with his eyes closed. "I knew you two were getting close."

Calming down, Anna drops her hand from her face. She turns her head and looks at the princess.

"You're getting close to the princess too," says Fai.

"Maybe," Anna says, leaning her elbows on the edge of the couch. "She reminds me of my sister," she confesses.

"Really?" asks Mokona.

Anna nods. "Odette was a very hard worker. There weren't many things that she could do but she tried her best at anything she could."

"Like Sakura-chan!"

"Yep." Anna smiles to herself. _A childhood friend,_ she thinks. Odette was more than just her elder sister. Odette was her best friend and the person she trusted the most. Odette was the one person she would give anything and everything for. Anna will do anything she can to protect Sakura and get her feathers back. Slowly but surely, Anna can feel herself changing a little bit. The thought makes her chuckle then frown. There is a black swan branded to her chest and she had a coldblooded, venomous creature as her kudan in the Hanshin Republic. She is still that same coldhearted and prideful person in her core. She may be this warm person who is willing to get close to people outside of that but she can't ignore that core character. It will always be there. And who knows, maybe that is her true character, the true Odile, and this character she is now is Anna. These thoughts swirl in her head and only confuse her. She doesn't understand herself anymore. She thought she did but she just doesn't understand. She's not used to not understanding. She pushes these thought to the back of her mind. She prefers to ignore them.

"You all right, Wifey-chan?" Fai asks.

Anna nods her head. "Yes, I'm fine."

"No, you're not!" complains Mokona.

Anna shakes her head. "No, I'm not but it's nothing you need to worry about."

"When you say you're fine when really you're not, it's upsetting!"

She looks at the creature and gives it a weak smile. "I'm sorry."

It jumps onto her head. "You better be!"

Anna chuckles. "Yes, I am."

Mokona sighs and says, "You're still really sad."

Anna smiles weakly and doesn't say anything. There's nothing she can think of saying. She feels as if she's happier than before, especially when she's with Kurogane, but Mokona's right. She's still sad and will probably always be. She lost her sister for crying out loud. And it was her fault. Anna bites her lips and pushes the thoughts away.

Mokona turns and faces Fai. "But… Fai is doing the same thing."

This takes both Anna and Fai be surprise but Anna agrees. Fai's just better at hiding his true feelings.

"Fai said it at the world with the big lake," Mokona continues. "If Syaoran laughs or has fun, nobody will blame him for it."

Fai gives a weak smile. "Yeah, what about that?"

"It's true for Fai too. Nobody will blame Fai. Not Mokona. Not Wifey-chan. Not Syaoran. Not Sakura. Not Kurogane. Not anybody."

Fai picks Mokona up from Anna's head and stands. He holds Mokona up and spins around. "Me?" he questions. "I always have fun!"

"Fai thinks of other things, even while laughing." This statement causes Fai to freeze and shock shows across his face. Mokona looks to Anna. "Wifey-chan does it too."

Fai smiles. "You really are amazing, Mokona," he says, kneeling back down next to Anna.

"It's one of Mokona's 108 Secret Techniques; knowing when someone is sad. Fai, Anna, Syaoran, Kurogane… All are somehow sad. But… As everyone travels together, the sad parts get a little smaller. It'd be nice if the warm feeling that Sakura always has spreads out to everybody else a little bit more. That's what Mokona thinks."

Anna looks to the sleeping girl. The girl smiles in her sleep and Anna smiles weakly. Mokona is really sharp. Anna looks to Fai and Mokona now. Fai holds Mokona up to his neck, closes his eyes, and gives a sad smile. "Yeah," he whispers. "That'd be nice."

Anna pokes Fai in the cheek and his eyes open. She smiles and he smiles back.

The front door opens then. The three of them face it and Fai and Mokona say, "Welcome to our café!" with wide grins. But Fai's grin fades as soon as he sees the figure. A man in a hooded cape walks into the shop. Just the feeling around him sends a chill up Anna's spine. She tenses and is reluctant to stand but forces herself to. Fai then stands and steps in front of her.

The man steps into the shop and pulls his hood down. His hair is short and black and he wears a grin on his face. His eyes are different colors. The one is blind, Anna notices; that's why the color is different.

Fai whispers to Mokona and the creature jumps from him to the couch. He gives a quick look to Anna from the corner of his eye. Anna plants her feet and doesn't plan on moving.

Fai then smiles at the man. "What can we do for you?" he asks.

"I'm informed that there are oni hunters here," the man says.

"Some live here but I'm afraid they're out."

"You are not one yourself?"

"I only run this café."

"In spite of all that magical power you possess?"

Fai only smiles.

The man turns his head and faces Anna. She keeps her face composed and her gaze even. "And you, miss?" he asks.

"I work here at the café as well. Nothing more."

"I see."

"So," says Fai, taking the man's attention from Anna. "What is your business with the Puppy Pair?"

The man grins and black manifest itself from behind him, forming like a mist. The black soon turn into two large demons. This startles Anna and she fumbles back a little. "I thought I'd make them go away," the man says.

_He summoned oni, _Anna thinks. _This man… can he be_

If Fai is bothered, he doesn't let it show. He smiles and puts his hands on his hips. "Let me guess. You're Seishiro-san, the man who is supposed to have taught Syaoran to fight."

"You know Syaoran?"

"Yes. We're traveling together."

"Travel? You mean world to world?"

Fai doesn't answer, just smiles.

"Syaoran doesn't have the power to travel worlds. He must have met the Space Time Witch's price."

"Did you as well?" Fai asks. "You can wield quite a lot of power on your own but the power to traverse worlds can only be found in that magic device in your right eye."

"I should have expected you to notice." A pause. "I gave my right eye in exchange for this device," the man explains.

Fai explains that there is a limited number of worlds that can be traveled with the device. The man then explains that, for that reason, he cannot waste any chance he gets on the worlds he can travel to in order to find the two he is looking for. His face grows dark and the two oni move. They attack Fai and Fai just barely evades.

"Fai!" Anna calls.

"Don't leave Sakura-chan's side!" he calls back, jumping onto the bar. "Either of you!" The oni attack and throw tables around the room trying to get to him. He stumbles on his hurt ankle.

Anna bites her tongue and steps back, closer to the princess. She faces the man and the man faces her. He smiles and she glares. He turns back to Fai. "I see that you're foot is hurt," he says. "If you used your magic, then escape would be much easier for you."

Fai tilts his head to the side and smiles. "But I decided not to use magic," he says.

"Idiot!" Anna says. "You'll die!"

The man smiles with his eyes closed. "You should listen to her."

Anna gulps. She allows her distress to show on her face. She shouldn't have said anything. Once again, she's only getting in the way. Where's Kurogane when you need him?

"Well, then," the man says then, "I have no choice." He smiles. "Farewell." The oni converge on Fai and overtake him.

"FAI!" screams Mokona.

Anna can't bring herself to say anything. She stands, completely still. She can't move. She's not even shaking. Her eyes are wide as she watches the oni stand and face her. Fai's gone. There's no body. All that's left is his neck tie, torn and broken. "Fai…" she chokes out. She can feel tears burn her eyes.

The oni step closer to her and Anna steps back, snapped out of her stillness. She faces the man then looks back to the oni, who get closer. She moves her eyes from them and to the man. He smiles and explains that Fai would only have gotten in his way and so he needed to be taken out. He believes Anna will also get in his way.

Anna's breath stops and she steps closer to Sakura and Mokona. What the hell is she going to do? She has no magic or any skills that could save the princess and Mokona. She has no chance of being able to protect them, let alone herself.

"There's no need for you to worry about them," the man says. "I will not harm them."

The oni attack then and Anna barely moves out of the way, away from Mokona and the princess. "ANNA-CHAN!" screams Mokona.

"Stay there!" Anna yells. She steps back and stumbles on a piece of a broken table. One of the oni jumps at her and claws at her hair. It pulls the tie from her hair and she slams into the counter. Before she can stumble to stand, the other oni runs and jumps at her.

There's no time to move.

There's no time to think.

There's no time to scream.

There's no pain.

Everything goes black.


	67. Edonis I

Edonis I

_Odile lies in bed, the plush blanket over her head. She lies on her side, her eyes open and void. They're red and sore from what seemed to be endless tears. The bed seems huge compared to her little, child of a body. She is unmoving and questions whether or not to continue breathing. She lets out a sob then and closes her eyes tightly. "Mother… Father…" she whispers, pulling her knees to her chest. _

_She recalls the last conversation she had with Father. She was on the floor of his study, working on her studies, while he worked on his kingly duties. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, complaining of all the work he had to complete before heading for the mountains. He called Odile over to him, saying that he needs a distraction from all his work. Odile pouted her lips and raised an eyebrow, saying that he can't slack on his work; he is king after all. Even so, she stood and walked over to him. He pulled her onto his knee and wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her shoulder. Odile picked up some of his work and looked it over. She found it rather easy to understand. He talked about all the things he needed to complete and Odile tried her best to help him with it. This impressed him greatly and he said, "You'll make a great politician some day." Odile smiled and said that she'll have to be since Odette doesn't understand anything about politics and probably never will. Father laughed and so did Odile. She was only teasing Odette, not really making fun of her. Odette would agree actually. _

_Father then got very serious and said something that echoes through Odile's mind now. He had said, "You'll take good care of Odette while me and Mommy are away, right?" Odile nodded and Father's grip on her tightened. He pressed his face into her back and was quiet for a long while. It started to worry Odile but he spoke before she could. "I know you're the youngest but you have to be strong for your sister's sake, okay? You have to be there for her and stand by her side." Odile opened her mouth to speak but he stopped her by kissing her forehead. "It doesn't matter how far away me and your mother are; we'll always be right next to you. Just remember that and keep moving forward."_

_Odile lets out a sob. Why did Father such things? It's almost like he knew he and Mother wouldn't return from the mountains. It's like he knew he was going to die. How could he have possibly known?_

_The door opens then. She keeps herself quiet and listens to the door close and footsteps near the bed. "Lile?" a sweet voice whispers. _

_Odile slowly pulls herself out of the covers to face her older sister. "Odette?" she whispers, trying to confirm that it's her._

"_Can I… Can I sleep in here with you tonight?" she says, her voice hoarse. The girl closes her eyes tight and grips a pillow in her arms. "I even brought my own pillow," she says. Tears start to stream down her face. _

_Odile sits up and tucks her legs under her. She stretches her arms out to her sister. She doesn't say anything and forces herself to smile. Odette lets out a whimper and climbs into the bed. Still gripping the pillow, she falls in the arms of her younger sister. Odile wraps her arms around her tightly and they begin to cry together. _

"_I—I can't believe they're gone!" Odette exclaims, wrapping an arm around Odile's torso. _

_Mother and Father are dead. They went to the Royal Mountain Retreat for their wedding anniversary. They were killed in a rockslide that wiped the Retreat from the mountain side. That's what the Royal Advisors told them. _

_Odette will be the next Queen. She's to be crowned by the end of the week. There's no time for proper mourning. _

_A long time passes and the tears fade from their eyes. Their sobs come to an end and their breathing evens out. Odile falls back into the bed, bringing Odette along with her. They lie there quiet and awake. _

You have to be there for her and stand by her side._ Father's words echo through Odile's mind, over and over and over. _

"_Lile…" Odette whispers. _

"_Yeah?" Odile replies, also in a whisper. _

"_I want us to make a promise to each other." Odette sits up then, setting aside the pillow she still held in her arms. She sits with her legs tucked under her and looks down at her little sister. _

_Odile doesn't move. She looks up to Odette and says, "What kind of promise?"_

"_That we will always be together." There's a moment of silence before Odile sits up. She looks her at her sister and her sister stares back. Her eyes are red and serious. "I want us to promise to never leave each other, that we will always be together." Odette puts up her right hand between them and raises her pinky. "I want you to promise me that you will never leave me. And I promise to never leave you."_

_Odette doesn't have to think about it. She raises her right hand and links her pinky with Odette's. "I promise that I'll never leave you," Odile says, smiling with tears forming in her eyes. _

"_I promise to never leave you," Odette says, smiling with her eyes closed. Tears fall down her cheek. _

"_We will always be together," they say at the same time. They lean forward and kiss their fists, sealing the promise. They make this promise on their tears and sorrow for their lost parents. Whoever shall break this promise will cry just like how they are now. _

_Odile vows to herself to never break this promise. She will never break this promise. _

_Odette begins to cry again and throws her arms around Odile. They fall back into the bed and Odile holds her tight. "I'm not ready to be queen, Lile!" she confesses. "I'm only 13 years old; I can't be queen! I can barely do my studies, how can I run an entire country?"_

_Odile holds her tighter. "I'll help you," she says, more sure than ever. _

_Father's words replay themselves through her head. _You'll take good care of Odette while me and Mommy are away, right?

"_Everything will be fine," Odile says. "I'll help you as much as I can. Everything will be just fine. We'll make it through this together."_

_Odette nuzzles her face into Odile's neck. "I love you so much, Lile," she says._

"_I love you, too, Odette. I will always be here next to you. We'll get through this together, okay?"_

_Odette nods. "Thank you, Lile."_

_Odile says, "No problem," and Odette lets out a light chuckle. _

_Odile thinks of another thing Father said. _I know you're the youngest but you have to be strong for your sister's sake, okay_? Odile's grip tightens and Odette nuzzles further into her shoulder. _I will protect you, Odette, _she thinks._ I'll keep you happy. I'll be strong so you can be weak, okay? There's no need for you to worry or to do anything. I'll do everything you can't. I'll keep you going, okay?_ Odile grits her teeth and closes her eyes tight, fighting back the tears. She tells herself that she can't cry anymore. Odette can cry and she'll stop crying. She'll never show tears or weakness in front of Odette. She'll do everything to keep Odette happy. _

Anna's eyes snap open and she gasps. Leaning forward, she grips her head. Her temples are throbbing and tears sting her eyes. "Odette…" she whispers. It was after that, that her skin started to grow colder. She couldn't explain it and just tried to ignore it. It was after that, that she picked up more studies and started her magic lessons. She continued Father's work and took over whatever Odette couldn't handle. She was eight years old when she was crowned the Crown Princess and took over all matters of state.

She was eight years old when she stopped crying and started pretending.

When Odette was killed, that was the first time she cried in over a decade. Now, she's a crybaby; shedding tears whenever she thinks of Odette.

Then it hits her and she looks up and around franticly. She's in a glass egg. She presses her hands against the cool surface and notices that she's in her normal clothes. "What the hell?" she says. _I thought I… died? _she thinks. _How is this possible? _She looks around again. "Where… the hell is this?" she says. She looks around to finds other glass eggs. She finds Syaoran sitting in the one next to her. In front of him is the princess. In front of Anna is Kurogane and behind her is Mokona. To her other side is Fai, who catches eye contact with her.

"Fai!" Anna exclaims. He grins and waves. A smile slowly forms on her face and she presses her forehead on the glass. "Thank the Goddess," she says to herself.

There is hissing sound and Anna recoils from the glass. The egg opens then and so does Fai's. Slowly and hesitantly, Anna starts to climb out. Fai hurries to her side and helps her out. Anna looks up at him and he looks down at him with a cat's grin. Anna smiles back and pokes him in the cheek. "I'm so glad you're all right," she tells him.

He smiles and says, "Me too." A pause and his face grows serious, though he continues to smile. "Seishiro-san killed you too?"

Anna nods. Then she thinks it over and looks over the other glass eggs. "We should be dead," she says slowly. "I don't understand what's going on." Then the thought crosses her mind and she looks down at her hands. Violet lightning dances on her palms. She gives a sigh of relief. She has her magic back.

"Hmmm." Fai smiles. "Well, would you look like that."

"I wonder why…" Anna ponders quietly. Anna looks around. "Where are we?"

Fai looks around then. "I was wondering about that too." They start to look around before deciding to walk around. The glass eggs are supported on a lattice work of steel. There are eggs above them and below them, resting on the intersecting parts of the steel.

"Should we just leave them here?" Fai asks, looking over to the others.

Anna looks them over. They look like they're sleeping. Before she can answer, a woman speaks. "They are fine for now," say the woman voice. Anna and Fai turn to face the woman. She's tall, about Anna's height, and dressed in a strange white dress. Her hair is long and dark. She introduces herself as Chitose.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Please read and review. Your reviews really make my day. :)<p>

I will be posting several more chapters on December 25 in celebration of the holiday. ;)


	68. Edonis II

Edonis II

Anna stands back as Fai stands in front of Syaoran's Dream Capsule. A voice echoes through the area and says, "Customer ID number 43569 is now dead. The guest has now been extracted from the country of Oto." Syaoran's eyes open slowly and Anna smiles in relief. The woman named Chitose explained very little but enough so Anna understands what's going on. It turns out that the country of Oto is a game inside the world of Edonis. The game is located in Fairy Park, an amusement park. Anna and the others entered the world of Edonis in the Dream Capsule area of the game. They were greeted as customers and forced into the capsules. The capsules are what allowed them to enter the game, the country of Oto.

In other words, the game is like a dream. When Anna and Fai were killed, they woke up from the dream. Syaoran was killed in the dream as well and now he's woken up in the real world.

Because they were new to the game, none of them remembered entering the game.

"Fai-san ? Anna-san?" exclaims Syaoran. Anna smiles at him and he smiles back and sighs with relief. "I'm glad you're both all right." He looks around. "But where are we?"

Fai explains that they are in Fairy Park in Edonis country. He explains that Oto is a dream world, a "virtual reality." As Fai explains, the three of them head out of the game area and enter the amusement park. People, adults and children, wonder about enjoying themselves. Fai is leading them to where Chitose is. She had told them that Syaoran would be waking and sent them back to the Country of Oto game area to pick him up. _That means he died in the game_, Anna notes. She wonders if Seishiro was the one who killed him. Kurogane, Mokona, and the princess must be doing all right if they're still in the game. Then again, after hearing what Chitose had to say, she's not too sure anymore.

Anna notices something in Syaoran's hand. He carries his sword from Oto. _How the…? _She thinks. Then she shakes her head. She decides that it's better to pretend to understand since she really doesn't. There is no such technology like this in Anna's worlds.

Fai explains that when you enter the thing that looked like an egg, you enter the virtual reality, the dream, which seems like a real world. Inside that world, you can fight or live a daily life. The game is very popular.

They stop walking and Syaoran ponders a thought.

Bending over to get a better look at his face, Anna asks what he's thinking about.

He says, "That explains why city hall knew all the movements of the oni and why the oni only attacked the hunters."

Anna nods in agreement.

"When I went with Kurogane-san to the 'Tower of the Little People.' There was a room that was made up of one huge oni. No matter how much we cut and stabbed it, we couldn't beat it. But when I set it on fire, it burned up."

"So you defeated it?" questions Fai.

Syaoran nods and says, "But there was water on the ground. It was like it was there so that oni hunters who burned the oni weren't burned themselves."

"I see. That is odd."

They reach their destination when Syaoran asks, "And there's one other thing… I don't remember entering Edonis." They enter their destination then. It's a medium sized room with screens mounted all over the walls. There are no windows and the only light comes from the gray screens.

Anna points to the woman who stands on the other side. "She can explain that part," she says.

Chitose steps forward and says, "The people who use the capsules for the first time obtain much more enjoyment out of the game that way. They adapt much more smoothly to the virtual country if they think that it is real. So a small part of the person's database is revised."

"What—" The boy is cut off and he grips his head. The memories of entering the country are coming back to him. The same thing happened to Anna and Fai. "Ah! I remember!" says Syaoran.

Anna says, "In other words, it was arranged for us to think that Oto was a real country. That's why, while in Oto, we didn't remember Edonis."

Syaoran looks up at her with confusion and she shrugs. Then his eyes fall to the sword in his hands. He looks up to Chitose and Fai introduces her as one of the creators of the game of Oto.

Chitose says, "I'm informed that you know the one who is interfering with the dream capsule system. I would like you to tell me more about this person."

She had asked Anna and Fai about the new oni and they told her about Seishiro. What they know of him anyway.

The question takes Syaoran by surprise and he says, "Why do you want to know?"

Chitose explains that this cannot continue, that the game has stopped being a game.

"What does that mean?" Syaoran is serious and seems almost offended by her questions.

"The game must be completely safe," she says. She explains that no matter what dangers in the game, they are not real. Once you leave the game, you will remember it as if it were a dream. "But since this intruder entered the game, the oni that should be under the complete control of Fairy Park's systems are being manipulated by an outside person. If this keeps up—"

There's a loud bang and the floor trembles, shaking the room and causing all of them to stumble. They turn to face a screen behind Chitose. The screen is no longer gray and displays an image of Fairy Park. It shows the park in chaos as oni run around. Rides and attractions are crumbling and on fire as smoke fills the air. Anna can smell it now, the burning, and feel the world tremble under her as large, powerful oni destroy whatever is in their path.

Throughout the streets, people from Oto appear. Anna can tell based on the clothes they are wearing. The clothes of Edonis are simple in design and almost uniform in a way. They come into existence through a white substance, similar to when Anna and the others change world. The people look around, shocked and confused. Then they begin to run and scream like all the others.

"It looks like the dream has entered reality!" exclaims Chitose. She goes on to explain that there is no technology in Edonis that can do this; bring the "virtual reality" into the real world. "What method is the intruder using to do this?" she thinks out loud. She faces Fai, Syaoran, and Anna. "If we don't find a way to stop him soon, it won't be just Fairy Park, the entire country will be destroyed by the demons!"

The ground shakes again and tiles from the ceiling begin to fall. Anna shields her head with her arms and her eyes falls onto the screen right across from her.

Syaoran heads to run out of the room and yells, "I have to find Princess Sakura!"

"Wait," Anna says. She points to the screen. "There." She points to the princess, asleep in the arms of the oni hunter Shiyu. Yuzuriha, Soma, and Ryuo are with them. Soma holds Mokona in her arms. They are in the middle on Fairy Park but still in their clothes from Oto.

Fai walks up to the screen and Anna steps next to him. Syaoran runs over and looks over the screen. "But where's Kurogane-san?" he asks.

Fai points to the screen next to the one with the princess in it. "I found Big Puppy!" he coos, grinning. Kurogane stands on the remains of a steel structure that looks like a giant wheel. Anna notes that he is still wearing his clothes from Oto. Right in front of him is the man named Seishiro, standing on the head of a dragon shaped oni. Seishiro grins and the look on his face causes Anna to freeze. It's the same as before, when he killed her and Fai. His expression doesn't seem to change. He wears a stoic grin and a cold gaze. Kurogane, on the other hand, is dark and serious. Then the thought crosses her mind. Kurogane must think the three of them are dead; probably killed by him.

"Kurogane-san!" exclaims Syaoran. "Seishiro-san!" He's surprised to see them facing off. The boy faces Anna and Fai. "We need to get out there!"

There is no second thought for Anna or Fai. Chitose protests weakly, saying that it's too dangerous, but soon agrees and the four of them head out. They run through the streets, evading debris and runaway oni. Anna bumps into several people as they such along in the opposite direction. When they finally reach the oni hunters with the princess and Mokona, Syaoran calls to Ryuo.

Seishiro and Kurogane are in the area behind them, fighting each other with swords.

When the oni hunters see them, they express shock and relief.

"Syaoran!" exclaims Mokona, jumping onto the boy. "Fai! Anna!" yells Mokona, tears forming in it eyes. Mokona then jumps to Anna and Fai, who stand near each other. "Mokona thought you guys were gone!"

Fai pats the creature on the head. "We're back!" he exclaims.

Anna smiles down at the creature and Mokona smiles back at her. It hopes from her arms to the top of her head and nestles itself in her hair. "Mokona missed you guys so much!"

"We missed you too, Mokona," Anna says and the creature cheers.

Ryuo runs and throws his arms around Syaoran, calling him Little Puppy. "Thank the Gods!" the boy says. "When we got separated, I thought we would never see each other again!" Tears threaten to fall from the boy's eyes but he wipes them away.

Syaoran questions that Oto wasn't real. This takes the other oni hunters be surprise. Yuzuriha says, "You didn't know?"

Fai explains that it's because they are travelers.

Syaoran asks how the princess is and Soma explains that she's just asleep.

There's a loud bang in the direction of Seishiro and Kurogane. Looking over, Anna notices that a large piece of steel fell from high above and hit the ground. She notices the condition of Seishiro and Kurogane. They both seem unharmed, though Seishiro no longer wears his cape and has glasses on.

"Seishiro-san!" exclaims Syaoran through gritted teeth. His voice was laced with something and Anna's not sure what it is. Maybe worry, but in the way that wants to say "please stop what you're doing."

"What's the matter?" Anna finally asks.

"He's dead serious!"

Kurogane strikes Seishiro with his blade and Seishiro blocks with his own. Kurogane seems to be pushing Seishiro back until Seishiro's sword deforms. The blade moves quick like a snake and wraps around Kurogane's neck. Anna wants to yell for him the watch out but bites her tongue. Kurogane strikes at the intruder, stopping his deformed blade and causing him to jump to evade. Their swords clash again and again until Seishiro gets a grip on Kurogane's arm and throws him up into the air. Kurogane filps and regains his footing on the ground.

They jump back, away from each other. Seishiro stands, relaxed looking, with his sword lowered at his side. Kurogane stands bent over, sword at the ready. They seem to be talking since Anna can see their lips move. But she can't hear them.

Despite seeing Seishiro's strength first hand, Anna's not worried for Kurogane. She's only seen him in action a little bit but believes that he stands a chance against Seishiro. Then again, she knows very little about Seishiro and is probably underestimating his skills. Anna wraps her arms around herself and a chill runs up her spine. _Kurogane can't lose, _she tells herself. _He just can't. _

Kurogane stands and throws his blade onto his shoulder. He grins wickedly and continues to speak with Seishiro. After a moment, the two of them prepare to strike. There is lull before they advance. Kurogane grins, enjoying the battle, and Seishiro's smile doesn't falter.

Before their swords meet once again, a pole of some kind crashes into the ground between them. This causes them to freeze and jump back. Anna can hear Kurogane yell, "What the hell is this?"

Anna doesn't know what to make of what just happened. She slaps a hand over her mouth and looks up at Mokona and the creature grins down at her with a giggle. The pole thing came from its mouth. Utter shock and confusion show on the faces of the oni hunters and Syaoran.

Fai smiles and claps his hands. He giggles and says, "Wah! That thing came right of Mokona's mouth!" He's greatly impressed, though other things have just popped out of Mokona's mouth before.

Anna looks up at the creature and Mokona grins down at her. "What was that?" she asks, not sure if she want to know.

"A message from Yuko!" it cheers.

"WHAT?" screams Kurogane, causing Anna to look towards him, utter shock and confusion on his face.

Fai waves a hand at him and grins. He yells, "Yoohoo! Hey there, Kuro-sama!"

"HOW THE HELL…? Anna?" Anna smiles and shrugs her shoulders. "Are you okay?" he calls to her.

Smiling, she nods her head. "I'm fine!" she calls back. Kurogane smiles faintly and sighs in relief. His expression causes her to blush a little. Taking a deep breath, Anna cups her hands over her mouth and yells, "Take that thing with you!" She points to the pole. "It's from Yuko!" The look on Kurogane's face tells her that he wants nothing to do with the witch and it makes Anna chuckle.

Seishiro says something with a chuckle and Kurogane snaps at him.


	69. Edonis III

Edonis III

The smile on Seishiro's face falls and his chest begins to glow. Anna feels Mokona twitch on her head and looking up; she finds its eyes open. Looking back to the man, Anna whispers to herself, "The feather…"

The man rests his hand on his chest, over the light. As his hand moves away, an orb of light leaves his chest and within it is the princess's feather.

"Princess Sakura's feather?" yells Syaoran. He takes a step forward and stops. "Why does Seishiro-san have it?" He grits his teeth and braces himself with a serious and determined look on his face.

The light from the feather radiates throughout Fairy Park. From the light, buildings from the country of Oto begin to form. The ground begins to shake and Anna takes Mokona from her head and holds the creature to her chest. The structure under Seishiro starts to crumble and lift from the ground. The debris crumbles over Kurogane and he shields himself with his blade; the other hand holds the pole from Mokona.

Wind swirls around the man and towards the feather. The wind is powerful and pulls everything towards it. Debris and smoke swirl around. Anna shields her face from the flying stones but one rushes past her cheek and scratches her, drawing blood. Swiping a finger over the wound, she heals it. She smiles to herself_. It feels so good to have my power back_, she thinks.

"That's it!" exclaims Chitose. She points to the feather and holds a device in the other hand. "The thing that he is holding is emitting an incredible amount of energy! That thing is what is turning the world of Oto into reality!"

Syaoran runs towards a steel structure. Fai yells after him but the boy continues on. Soon he reaches the top of the structure and faces Seishiro. He calls to him and reaches to the feather but the wind pushes him back.

A black figure begins to form to the side of the man. The wind swirls around it and blocks it from view until it is formed completely. As the wind dies down, an oni, larger than any other, forms. It stands tall with a crown and several pairs of black wings. Within its claws, there is a female figure. It takes a moment for Anna to see who it is. When she can make out the figure, her voice catches in her throat.

The wind dies down and fades to a light breeze. Anna can hear Seishiro speak now. "The I-1 oni has finally shown itself," he says.

"You found me," says the woman, one eye closed. One hand rests on her hip and other holds a claw of the oni. She moves some of her black curly hair from her face. The woman is Oruha, the singer from the bar Clover. The woman who looks just like Anna's mother. "I never thought I'd make an appearance like this," she says.

Seishiro smiles with his eyes closed. "My apologies," the man says.

Oruha puts her hands on her hips and supports her weight on one foot. She sighs and says, "But it can't be helped. When these interesting demon hunters came to collect information, I decided to use you to deflect their attention.

"Does that mean all the information you gave us at the bar…" ponders Fai.

"Was a lie, huh?" finishes Kurogane

Anna smiles to herself. This woman is just like her mother. Mother would do the same thing. She was rather good at such things. She was quite the trickster. Anna lets out a chuckle and Mokona asks what's so funny. "Nothing," she says and Mokona sinks into her head. "I promise to tell you later." The creature perks up and smiles.

"Not all of it," Oruha says with a smile. "The part about 'meeting a beautiful man who controlled oni' was true. The only difference was that the man wasn't a demon himself." A pause. "In order to make the game more interesting, it is necessary to give a little false information. To be able to add such an irregularity can only be done by a 'player character'."

"Player character?" Anna questions.

Oruha hears her and turns to face her. Anna jumps a little and the woman smiles. Oruha goes on to explain that the people who experience the "virtual reality" are real people outside the game. They take on a virtual identity, which make them "player characters." There are also players in the game that are controlled by the systems of the game and not by an actual person. They are called "non-player characters."

"So the reason I couldn't sense the oni as living things…" says Syaoran.

"Non-player characters, such as oni, are nothing but data. They are not living things so one cannot sense them."

"But I can sense you."

She smiles and tilts her head to the side. "That is because I'm a player character. I have my own life outside the game in Edonis." She explains that she sings at Clover and if a guest defeats all level of oni and follows the right path she, the I-1 demon, is scheduled to appear. "If that person defeats me, then the game ends." She turns to Chitose and says, "But not all things go according to plan, no matter how well the system is maintained." She faces back to Seishiro. "Now, what business does the intruder have with me?"

The man says, "The country of Oto is a virtual reality, which means that in the real world, the shape you have now may not be the real you, correct?" Oruha nods and Seishiro asks if her real form is the same form she has now, the one in Oto.

"No," Oruha answers.

"I've heard that you can give eternal life."

"Yes."

The man smiles with his eyes closed and a shiver runs up Anna's spine. He may have a meaningless smile on his face, similar to Fai, but his is menacing. Anna already knew that she doesn't like the feeling for being threatened or scared. The man tilts his head the side and says, "Shall we dispense with the roundabout questions?" His smile falters and falls. With the feather still suspended in his hand, he asks, "Your true name, is it 'Subaru'?"

Oruha's face falls into seriousness. This Oruha holds the same sense of grace and elegance as Anna's mother. She holds her head up high yet doesn't look down at others. She has a somewhat spirited outward appearance regardless of the atmosphere that may be around her. She knows what to say and is usually right but isn't afraid of being wrong. She is a woman of charm and knows it. And just like Anna's mother, this Oruha can be threatening. The others may not notice the feeling behind that expression, but Anna does.

Oruha closes her eyes and answers the man's question. "No."

"Do you have any knowledge of a pair of vampire twins?"

"No, I do not." She goes on to say that she is one of the people who designed the systems that run Fairy Park and when they say eternal life, they mean that once you have defeated the I-1 oni, the strongest of all oni, then there is no enemy you cannot defeat within the game. In other words, the creators convey the special privilege of making it impossible to die in the game no matter what happens. "That is all that this 'eternal life' means," she says. "It has nothing to with the vampire legend."

Anna lets out a deep breath. It's been over a decade since her parents passed and she's grown used to not being able to hear their voices or see their faces, outside of paintings. The expression on Oruha's face suggests that she's extremely disappointed. It's the kind of face she'd make at her daughters when they did something that wasn't even worth scolding them for; the kind of thing they knew was wrong but did anyway. Odile and Odette didn't do such things often, rather very rarely, because of that expression. It belittles you. It's almost as if she were saying, "How could you cause so much trouble over something so petty?"

Seishiro shakes his head in disappointment. "So this isn't the place either," he says.

"I'm so sorry to disappoint you," Oruha says, sarcastic in tone. "However," she says, looking around at the catastrophe around her, "This situation is unacceptable."

Smiling, Seishiro nods his head in agreement and says that the feather is the cause. He cannot control it but once it leaves this world, so will its effects on it. He says something under his breath that Anna can't hear.

"NO!" screams Syaoran. "Please, wait!" The man turns and faces the boy he once taught to fight. "That feather… The search for those feathers is why I'm traveling worlds."

"But it isn't yours, Syaoran."

"No, it's not. But it is a crucial part of the most important person in the world to me!"

"But I'm afraid that I can't return it. Sorry." The man doesn't mean such an apology. Anna can't see Syaoran's face but it prompts the man to say, "Will you fight me for it?"

"You're the one you first taught me how to fight. As I am now, there's no way I could defeat you. I understand that more than ever after our fight in Oto. But I will return that feather to the princess." Anna can't see his face but she's sure that it's covered in determination. When it comes to the princess, Syaoran will do anything and everything. "I've decided on that." Syaoran ties the rope that kept him from drawing his sword. Anna didn't notice such a thing and doesn't really understand it, but it was probably Kurogane's idea so it's okay. "I don't have the skills and I know I can't use this sword as I should, but it I don't draw it, even my 'one in a million' chance turns into no chance at all!" He pulls the sword from its sheath and holds his body in a stance, prepared to attack. Flames begin to dance around the blade and he says, "My chance may be zero, but I will take that chance!" He jumps from where he stands and flies towards Seishiro, prepared to cut him down.

Anna bites her lip but continues to watch. She prays that Syaoran will win and retrieve the feather. Moreover, she prays that he'll make it out unharmed. Anna thinks of how she's truly become attached to her travel companions. At first she didn't want to be near them, wanted to be rid of them, felt that she was better off alone. But it's different now. She doesn't want to lose any of them. She cares about them.

Syaoran lands behind the man. Seishiro seems to catch on fire but is unfazed.

"Did he get the guy?" demands Ryuo.

"No, the man dodged it," Fai says, not smiling.

"A sword of fire, huh?" says the man. "It suits you, Syaoran. I'm sure you'll grow stronger. From here on out, you'll find many feats that you are capable of. Many, many more. And even if the path before you is not one you would choose, your strength will support and guide you."

Anna bites her tongue. There are things she would say but she finds it best to keep them to herself. She had her outbursts in Koryo and Jade. There's no need for more, especially in a situation like this one.

"Seishiro-san!" Syaoran calls but the man doesn't seem to hear him.

A swirl of power collides on the man's right eye. The eye begins to glow and the man says, gesturing to the feather, "As long as you are searching for this, then I have no doubts that we will meet again." A magic circle forms underneath him. The circle is identical to that of the one Mokona uses. "And so, I'll see you later, Syaoran," the man says, and then he disappears with the circle.

All wind stops the second he leaves and the rampaging oni start to disappear.

Mokona lifts from Anna's head then and wings begin to form at the creatures back. "Mokona?" questions Anna.

"What is that?" barks Ryuo. He and Yuzuriha stare at Mokona, amazed and confused.

"Fai!" Anna calls. She doesn't know what's happening but has a feeling that Fai does. He may not be using his magic, but it seems that he can sense another's magic. In addition, he has magical knowledge that Anna does not. His magic would be labeled "forbidden" in Rojus after all.

Fai says, "It seems that Mokona has picked up the trail of Seishiro-san's magic device." He explains that they are both from the Dimensional Witch and have the same root power. He turns and takes the sleeping princess from Shiyu. He looks to Anna with a saddened look. Anna smiles faintly and walks to him and stands next to him. "Kuro-rin! Syaoran-kun!" he calls. "We have to bid farewell to this country."

His words don't surprise Anna. Mokona preparing to leave, wings and all, was proof enough of this. She wasn't getting attached to Oto as much as she was getting used to it. It saddens her a little to leave but she doesn't mind moving on to the next world. She wishes she got to know the other oni hunters a little more. Then again, what's the point of forming any kind of relationship in one world if you're just going to over on to the next sooner rather than later?

Syaoran and Kurogane give Fai a look of confusion. Kurogane looks to Anna for an explanation but all she can give him is a faint smile. He frowns but nods.

Anna's gaze travels to Oruha and the woman looks to Mokona, a finger on her chin, wondering what's going on. Anna smiles to herself. She's happy she got to see a lookalike of her mother. Even better, she got to hear her sing. She didn't know just how much she wanted to hear her voice.

Oruha notices Anna looking at her then and smiles at her. Anna blushes a little, embarrassed she was caught, but doesn't look away. The woman tilts her head to the side and waves her hand at her. This takes Anna off guard but she waves back with a smile. She can feel tears burn her eyes.

"What do you mean 'farewell'?" demands Yuzuriha.

"Wait just a minute!" adds Ryuo, calling to Syaoran.

The giant oni Oruha stands on begins to fade away and so does the clothes of Oto. The oni hunters look themselves over as their Oto clothes fade away, revealing clothes of Edonis underneath. The same goes for Kurogane and the princess, who still wore her waitress clothes.

Mokona opens its mouth then and begins to pull the travelers in. Yuzuriha panics and yells for Little Kitty. Ryuo yells for Little Puppy.

"It's Syaoran!" the boy yells back. "That's my real name!"

Soma pulls Anna's attention from them. She asks, "You're leaving?" Anna nods with a weak smile. Soma smiles weakly in return. "I was hoping I'd be able to get to know you more."

This takes Anna aback and she smiles. "Me too," she says before colors begin to block her vision. The colors overwhelm her and she knows that they've started heading to the next world.


	70. Idol Country I

Idol Country I

As they walk along, a shiver runs up Anna's spine. She clenches and unclenches her fists, which ache from her cold skin. Its bit a while since her coldness has bothered her. The part that bothers her the most is that she's in a warm and humid environment and she's cold. It irritates her greatly.

There's something else that's bothering her. She knows it was only a hair tie but the thought that she had to leave it in Oto upsets her. It's a trivial thing to be thinking about, compared with other things. With a sigh, she pushes such thought to the back of her mind. She just has to suck it up.

"It's no good-! It's no good-!" Mokona sings from Fai's shoulder. "You trampled on a young maiden's heart-! That's no good at all-!"

"I didn't know you were such a good singer, Mokona!" coos Fai, clapping his hands.

"And Mokona dances too-!" Mokona sings.

"Wifey-chan is a dancer, too!" sings Fai. "And she's really good."

Anna jumps over a root and steps up next to Fai.

"Is that true, Anna-chan?" questions Mokona, jumping onto her shoulder.

Anna nods her head and steps over another root, then a flower. "Yes," she says, not really wanting to elaborate on the matter.

"Really?"

Anna nods her head.

The white bunny creature squeals. "Then Mokona can sing and we can dance together!"

Kurogane groans and Mokona teases him about secretly wanting to see Anna dance. He barks back and Anna gives a chuckle. He stomps away in front of her. She thinks that Kurogane's upset about the fight with Seishiro being interrupted. And even though they followed the man to the next world, they didn't land in the same world as him. This upset Mokona and made it sad but Syaoran assured the creature that it was fine. They scouted the area around them after setting the princess down to sleep. Anna asked Mokona about the thing from Yuko and the creature said it was a message from the witch. Fai took the thing from Kurogane, who was carrying it, and opened the letter. Neither Anna, Fai, nor Syaoran could read the writing. Kurogane and Mokona could however and Mokona read the letter out loud: " 'I want my White Day payback! If you don't give me my due, you'll be punished three times over! Love, Yuko.'"

"I don't understand a word of it!" barked Kurogane at Mokona. Fai took the letter and danced around with, singing that he couldn't read it. Anna looked at Syaoran and Syaoran looked at Anna. They didn't understand what the letter means either.

After that was said and done, Anna, Kurogane, Fai, and Mokona were sent to search for people, the feather, or both. Syaoran stayed with the sleeping princess. Now the search party is heading back to where the boy and girl are. They didn't find any sign of anything and found nothing on the search. This world is like one vast jungle with no life in it. This new world is hot and humid with huge, tall trees. The root systems are tangled all over the ground and Anna's having quite the time trying to walk over them. Various kinds of flowers and plants as scatter the ground. Anna's trying her best not to step on them. She's not sure why but she's finding the whole act amusing. This act reminds her of the stupid little things she did as a child. She remembers how when she first met Mokona, she didn't think the creature was adorable and how she probably would when she was a child. Now, she thinks Mokona is very cute. She's sure Odette would find the creature absolutely adorable.

Walking a few steps behind Kurogane, Anna notes the sword at his hip, tucked into his belt. He was able to keep his sword, like Syaoran. She's not sure how such a thing is possible, since Oto wasn't a real world. Shouldn't that mean that the swords aren't real? Then again, the princess's feather had the power to bring the dream into the real. Fai tried to explain this but Anna only half understood. All she could understand is that while the two worlds were crossed, Kurogane and Syaoran had their swords because of the rift between the worlds. Mokona's timing to leave was perfect and took the swords with them. Anna gets this much but doesn't understand how it all works. She gets the theory but not the execution.

She jumps over another root and Kurogane barks, "What the hell are you doing?"

"Nothing," she says, jumping from one root to another. Kurogane stops walking and Anna nearly walks into him. Looking up at him, she sticks her tongue out. He gives a "tsk" sound, calls her a pain in the ass, and continues walking.

"Ah!" goes Fai, throwing his arms around Anna's shoulder, pressing his cheek against hers. "Don't be mean to Wifey-chan 'cause you're in a bad mood!"

"Yeah!" agrees Mokona. "Be nice to Wifey-chan!"

Turning around, Kurogane sends a death glare at Fai and Mokona.

They shrink behind Anna and Mokona squeals, "Kyaa!"

Fai goes, "So Scary!"

Anna catches eye contact with him and she smiles weakly. He looks away then to the ground, then back at her and she smiles again and steps away from the other two, who don't move from where their feet are planted. She walks up next to Kurogane and he looks away from her, up at the sky, and mumbles something. Reaching up, Anna pinches his cheek and pulls. He yelps and grabs her wrist in protest. Looking down at her, he frowns. Looking up at him, Anna gives a weak smile that causes him to let go. "Sorry," Anna mumbles, looking away from him and taking a step back.

He grumbles then says, "There's no need for you to say that."

"Yeah!" goes Mokona. "Kuropi should be the one saying 'sorry'!"

To everyone's surprise, he doesn't bark back and starts walking again. Anna catches up with him and Fai and Mokona fall a few steps behind them.

"You're upset about how the fight with Seishiro ended," Anna says, not forming the statement as a question. "Because it was stopped in the middle of it."

Kurogane sighs and says, "What the hell was that witch thinking? Interrupting a fight like that…!"

Anna smiles to herself. She was right. She likes the idea that she can somewhat understand him. She looks up at him and finds him looking down at her from the corner of his eye. Looking away, he closes them for a moment then reaches into the armor on his chest. He pulls something out and holds his hand out to her. Confused, Anna puts her hand out and he drops something in it. At the sight of her hair band from Oto, she looks up at him, shock on her face. "How the hell…?" she questions.

Kurogane shrugs in response. "I picked it up at the shop," he explains.

Anna thinks this over for a moment. Then she remembers that when one of Seishiro's oni attacked her, it pulled out the hair band. Then images pass her mind. She can just image the sight, similar to Fai's neck tie lying on the ground; her hair band lying in the middle of the rubble and no sign of her body. Anna opens her mouth to say something but can't find any words. She grips the hair tie in her hand and frowns.

"I'm not sure how it came over from Oto to that other country. I don't even have any idea how I got to keep this damn sword," he says, looking his sword over. He looks down at her and reluctantly, she looks up at him and smiles faintly. He holds her gaze and the look on his face takes her aback. She can't see all of his face but she can see his eyes and they seem hurt, pained. Kurogane says, "I'm glad you didn't actually get hurt."

Anna looks away for a moment, not sure how to react. Then she looks back at him and smiles. "And I'm glad you didn't get hurt either," she says.

There's a moment but Kurogane gives a chuckles that says, "Like I'd ever let that happen." Anna lets out a chuckle and smiles to herself. Removing the band from her hair, she replaces it with the one from Oto. From behind, she hears Fai and Mokona giggle and say something to the effect of, "It must be the power of their love!"

Anna blushes and Kurogane barks for them to shut the hell up.


	71. Idol Country II

Idol Country II

The clearing comes into view and Anna spots the princess in distress, hanging in a net from a tree. Anna yells the princess's name and runs over to her. Fai follows right behind with Mokona on his shoulder. The two start to untangle the princess. They lower her to the ground and Kurogane looks over the trap, puzzled.

"What happened?" demands Anna, removing the rope from the girl's shoulders.

Sakura gives her a distressed look and answers, "Syaoran-kun was kidnapped!" She points in the direction in which the boy was carried off. Anna helps the princess to her feet and they head in the direction. Without any second thought, the travelers head that way with the princess in the lead. Her worry for the boy is clear on her face. Anna hides her worry and runs behind the girl, next to Fai. Mokona is on Fai's shoulder and Kurogane follows a few steps behind.

While on the move, Sakura explains that whoever took Syaoran threw a fruit at his head, which knocked him out. The people that carried him off were small, furry, and had tails and bunny ears. This takes everyone by surprise, but only for a moment.

Kurogane complains about Syaoran getting taken away and says, "Where the hell did all the training from Oto go? Knocked out by a piece of fruit?"

The princess explains that when she was caught in the net, Syaoran tried to help her and that's when he was attacked.

Kurogane grumbles something about how Syaoran is definitely not ready to use a sword, even though the kid had no choice but to draw it in Oto.

"You're such a strict teacher, Kurger Burger!" coos Fai.

Anna lets out a chuckle and runs faster, catching up with the princess. The girl looks at her, still full of concern. Anna smiles at her and says, "I'm sure he's fine. We'll find him."

The girl smiles weakly in return and nods her head.

"Look!" exclaims Mokona, pointing ahead. "Over there! It's smoke!"

Anna looks ahead and finds a pillar of smoke rises from a clearing below a hill. She jumps of a fallen branch and the princess stumbles over it. Anna grabs her arm and steadies her. Fai and Kurogane run ahead of them as they reach closer to the clearing. Fai stands in front of Sakura, prepared to protect the princess. Kurogane stands in front of Anna, prepared to fight. Anna readies herself, her hand at the ready to form a shield if need be.

"SYAORAN-KUN!" screams the princess.

"Princess!" yells the boy, surprised.

The princess trips over herself and falls. Anna and the others freeze, dumfounded at the site in front of them. Syaoran sits these creatures covered in fur with tails and bunny ears. Some sit around him, sharing a meal, while others tend to a bond fire behind him. The boy is fine. He doesn't seem hurt; in fact he looks pretty content.

Anna lets out a sigh of relief and a chuckle, wrapping her arms around herself.

"Princess!" exclaims the boy. "Are you all right?" He runs to her side and helps her up. Mokona jumps to the boy and looks over a bump on the back of his head.

Syaoran explains that he's fine and that these people have quite a story to tell. The bunny people gather around the boy and hide behind them. This puzzles Anna until she follows their gaze to Kurogane, who stand with his arms crossed and a glare on his face.

"What the hell are you looking at?" Kurogane says through gritted teeth.

Fai lets out a giggle and bends over to get a better look at the bunny people behind Syaoran. He smiles and says, "He may have a scary face, but don't worry! He won't eat you! At least not without warning."

Anna bites her lip and slaps a hand over her mouth, trying to stifle any laughter.

Kurogane glares at Fai and looks as if he can't believe the wizard just said that. "At least what?" he barks.

"Let's stop practicing those scary faces shall we?" Fai teases.

"Fai and Kuropo are such good friends!" coos Mokona from Syaoran's head.

Anna lets out a chuckle then and Kurogane glares at her. She smiles back and walks over to Syaoran. The bunny people look at her and she smiles back. To the boy, she says, "What's this story you were talking about?"

Syaoran nods and explains that the people told him about a beast that lives in the heart of the jungle, in an area just beyond to the edge of the jungle. The beast suddenly appeared and began to ravage the land that these bunny people were living on.

One of the bunny people says, with gloom on its face, "We all tried to fight."

Another adds, "But we couldn't do anything."

Anna finds these creatures, these people, rather cute. Their eyes are big and they ware scarves. Anna's never seen or even heard of people like this before.

"The beast told us to make a sacrifice to it," says a third bunny person. "If it tasted really good then the beast wouldn't ravage our forest anymore."

"So you decided that Syaoran-kun was delicious looking and make him the sacrifice, is that it?" asks Fai, grinning.

Mokona jumps to Fai and says that Mokona probably tastes the best out of everyone here. Anna chuckles and Mokona jumps over to her and onto her shoulder.

Kurogane questions all this and says to Syaoran, "So if you're gonna be the next brunt offering, then why are you hanging around here?"

Syaoran explains that according to the story, it seems the beast suddenly appeared and possessed a very great power.

Anna nods in understanding. "That's similar with the other stories concerning the princess's feathers," she says.

The first bunny person to speak says, pointing to Syaoran, "He said that he may be able to make sure that the frightening beast never appears again. So we let him go."

The bunny people around him wrap their arms around him and smile. One says, "And since he needed to hear out story in detail, he sat down…"

"And anyone who sits with us is a friend!" says another.

Fai nods and smiles. "That makes sense, huh, Kurgs?" he says, nudging Kurogane in the shoulder. Kurogane groans and looks away, annoyed.

Anna turns her head to look at Mokona. She attacks it if it can sense the feather and it answers yes, that the feather is close by.

Kurogane chuckles and grins darkly. "So we're best hunters now, huh?" he says.

"Ooh!" goes Fai. "Look at how happy Kuro-sama is!"

Kurogane grumbles and turns away.

"I'm going to!" says the princess.

"Princess?" questions Syaoran.

"I'll do my best not to get in your way. Please let me go with you!"

Syaoran smiles. "All right."

Anna smiles to herself. The princess really wants to help out in every way she can. The princess is so similar to Odette. Or maybe it's the other way around. Then again, that doesn't really matter.

"You can't all go!" complain the bunny people. They explain that if they all go and if they don't return, they'll be left without a sacrifice. "So you have to leave one behind!"

Fai giggles, impressed. "They thought this over!" he says.

"Those little…" curses Kurogane.

Anna folds her arms in front of her chest. "It makes complete sense to leave someone behind as collateral," she thinks out loud. She closes her eyes and thinks for a moment. Syaoran's the one who came up with this and should probably go. The princess wants to go so she should go. "Leaving Mokona behind isn't an opinion," she says. "It'd be a problem since then we might not be able to communicate."

Fai nods in agreement and says, "We can't ask Kuro-rin to stay. He'd never accept it since he's all ready to go and all." Fai grins and looks to Anna. "There's no need for me to go and there's no problem with me staying."

Anna nods and agrees, saying that it's the same for her. She raises her hand like a good student would. "Then I'll stay behind," she declares.

"Ah!" goes the princess. But…!"

Anna smiles to the girl, who looks up at here. "You want to go so you should go. Syaoran already said that you can go along and no one here is going to ask you stay." A pause. "This might be dangerous but you still want to go, right?"

The girl nods and says, "Yes!"

Anna smiles at the girl and girl smiles back. Fai sets a hand on Anna's shoulder then and she turns around and faces him. She looks up at him, questioning. He smiles back with his eyes closed and says, "I think you should be the one to go. I'll stay."

"I don't have any problem with staying so you can go," Anna counters.

Fai shakes his head and pushes Anna in Kurogane's direction. "Wifey-chan will go and I'll stay!" He smiles widely.

"Are you sure?"

"Yep!"

Looking over her shoulder, Anna smiles at him. "All right then. I'll go."

Kurogane groans and starts to walk off. "Let's get going already!" he barks.

"Yes!" goes Syaoran, following after him with the princess right next to him.

"We'll be back soon!" Mokona calls.

"I'll cheer you on from here!" Fai coos, waving.

Anna sends a wave and a smile at him and runs to catch up with Kurogane. She walks up next to him and he looks up at her from the corner of his eye. Anna smiles up at him and he looks away. She thinks he smiled back but his mouth is hidden by the tall collar of his cape.

They walk through the jungle for a long time. Anna walks normally this time out, only jumping over roots and fallen branches when needed, not just because it's amusing. She trips on a root and Kurogane grabs her arm and grumbles about how clumsy she is. He steadies her and continues on and Anna follows after. Kurogane groans loudly and stumps his foot on a root that reaches from the ground a few feet. With a hand on his sword, he complains, "Where the hell is this beast?"

Anna and the others stop walking and look around. Mokona giggles from Anna's shoulder. "Kuropi is full of energy!" it sings.

Anna smiles and looks around. The jungle looks the same everywhere she looks. She's not sure where the village of the bunny people is compared to where she is. She never did have a good sense of direction. "Did they tell you where the beast is supposed to be?" Anna says, asking Syaoran.

The boy points ahead of him. He explains that there is supposed to be something like a natural shrine in deep in the jungle. "That where they said it would be," he says.

"Do you think this beast is from this country?" the princess asks.

"I don't know," answers Syaoran.

Anna ponders the idea of the beast not being from this world. On the other hand, it could be something in this country that suddenly got very powerful, probably through the power of the princess's feather. The more Anna thinks about it, the more she wonders why the princess's feathers are so powerful. Somehow, Anna never asked how it happened and Syaoran never explained, the princess lost all her memories, which turned into feathers that were scattered throughout different worlds. Each of these feathers has a different memory attached to it. The girl's power was also scattered along with the memories. Does that mean the girl had immense power before her memories were scattered? Anna doesn't really understand but she's curious about it all. She wants to know more about Forbidden magic. From what she can tell, the dangers with such magic are no different from the magic used in Rojus, when compared to the benefits of course.

Mokona wiggles its self into Anna's neck then, crashing her train of thought. Before she can ask if something is wrong, there's a crash and Kurogane wraps his arm around Anna's waist. Anna's breath catches in her throat at the sight of a tree racing towards them. The tree has been up rooted and seems like it has been thrown at them. Kurogane jumps, taking Anna and Mokona along with him. Syaoran jumps to the side the other way with the princess in his arms.

"Hold on," commands Kurogane, reaching for his sword. Anna wraps her arms around his neck and he hoists her up against him, his arm now under her bum. Anna blushes and tries to tell herself that this position just makes it easier for him to fight. Even so, she tries to hide her face so he can't see her blushing.

Kurogane pulls his sword from his sheath and jumps towards the flying tree. He slices it in half with one swing and lands up on a branch of another tree. The wind picks up and throws jungle debris all around. "Did you see it?" he calls to Syaoran, who is on the ground with the princess, shielding themselves behind a tree.

"No!" the boy calls back. "I didn't see anything!"

Stones start to fly and Kurogane swings himself behind the trunk of the tree. He looks to Anna and is taken aback at how close she is but smirks. Mokona wiggles its self up in between their faces and grins widely. "Why you little," curses Kurogane, under his breath. Mokona only giggles in reply. He groans and turns his head and tries to look around the tree. "Is it using some sort of technique?" he questions. "All we have is swords. We have to get closer. Let's go!" He calls the last part to Syaoran.

"Okay!" Syaoran and Sakura yell back at the same time. The boy holds onto the princess's hand as they start to move forward.

"Don't let go," Kurogane orders Anna and his grip on her tightens.

"'Kay!" answers Mokona.

Anna smiles and lets out a chuckle as Mokona presses its cheek up against hers.

Kurogane lets out a groan and sheaths his sword before jumping down from the tree. The group starts to move forward and the wind starts to grow stronger. Kurogane is forced to grab a root to hold himself in place. He asks if Anna and Mokona are all right and they say that they are. The princess screams then as the wind starts to blow her back and she lifts up from the ground. Syaoran reaches for her and grabs her hand. He pulls her into him and he grabs a low branch of a tree.

"Yay!" squeals Mokona. "Syaoran did it!" There's a strong blast of wind then and it catches the creature, blowing it off of Anna. It screams and Anna pulls herself up over Kurogane's shoulder and reaches for Mokona. Kurogane complains about this but Anna ignores him and catches Mokona. She pulls Mokona into her and holds it tight, sure not to let it go again. "Thank you, Wifey-chan!" Mokona coos, kissing Anna on the cheek.

Anna smiles. "You're very welcome," she replies.

Kurogane groans and Anna sticks her tongue out at him.

"Any sign of the feather, Mokona?" Syaoran calls.

"Mokona can sense it!" the creature calls back.

They try to move closer but the wind seems to get the closer they get. It is as if the wind doesn't want them to get any closer. Syaoran points all this out and asks, "Do you think this is some sort of magic or curse?"

"I don't know," Anna answers. She's sure that if Fai were here, he could sense something. He should be here instead of her. She's only getting in the way. She's a burden to Kurogane; he's carrying her for crying out loud. Then again, Fai is so skinny. Anna wonders how light he is. He would probably be blown around like the princess. Anna's mind wonders to her own weight and she starts to feel uncomfortable. It doesn't seem like her weight is bothering Kurogane though. She hopes it isn't.

"What's that?" questions Syaoran. Anna follows his gaze to in opening in the wind up ahead. In the center there are trees that seem unaffected by the wind.

"Is it a trap?" questions Kurogane.

"But the feather's power is getting stronger!" says Mokona. And with that, Syaoran starts to move forward with the princess in his arms. Kurogane also starts to move forward and Anna asks if it would be easier if he let her go and he says that better with her in his arms. The statement makes Anna blush and Mokona giggles.

The princess says something about the wind not always being so strong. The wind gets stronger and weaker. Syaoran they says something about using the times when the wind is weaker to get closer. On the boy's mark, he and Kurogane raced towards the goal. When they reach the trees that are not affected by the wind, Kurogane sets Anna down next to him.

"Thank you, Kurogane," Anna says, smiling up at him.

"No problem," he answers, looking around. "Stay close."

Anna nods as they head forward. They find a huge cave and look inside only to find it empty.

Kurogane looks around and complains, "Where the hell is this beast? There's nothing here."

"Maybe it went out somewhere," Anna says, only half serious.

Syaoran gasps then. "Maybe the monster isn't something living," he says, looking to Kurogane and Anna. "Maybe the beast is the whirlwind."

"Oh, I get it," Anna says. "Maybe this wind isn't trying to keep us out but rather it occurs naturally."

Syaoran nods and looks up to the sky and around at the whirlwind. The wind races and circles around them. Syaoran explains that they are probably in the eye of the wind and that's why it's calm.

"Huh?" goes Kurogane.

"So the whirlwind was the beast?" says the princess.

Syaoran frowns. "But if that's the case, then where is the feather?"

Kurogane groans and says, "Wait a minute. If the beast is the wind, then what were those people talking about?"

Anna looks at him. "What do you mean?" she asks, though she's sure she knows what he's talking about.

"The beast said 'give me a sacrifice,' right?"

"Right," answers the boy.

"And wind doesn't speak, right?"

The boy nods. "Right."

Kurogane crosses his arms across his chest. "Moreover, they said that the beast has been in this area for several days. I haven't heard of whirlwind staying in the same place for a long time like that."

Anna nods in agreement and ponders what the hell is going on.

"I can hear it…" says the princess.

"Princess?" questions Syaoran.

"It's crying…"

Anna looks to the girl and finds the gaze in her eyes strangle. It's as if she's looking at something yet seeing nothing. The girl starts to walk, light on her feet. Anna takes a step towards her but stops short.

"What is she doing?" Anna asks.

"I don't know," answers Syaoran, "But I've seen Princess Sakura act like this back in Clow Country. The High Priest told me that the princess 'hears things that don't have voices'. She can hear the wails of things crying."

This takes Anna aback a little. She's never heard of such a thing.

Anna watches as the girl walks towards the whirlwind. "What's the matter?" she asks. "Are you lonely?"

"Princess!" calls Syaoran.

Before the boy can react, the wind seems to pick up the girl and wraps its self around her. Anna can hear her ask the wind if it can't move from here, if it's hurt. She hears the girls say, "You can't move from here because of a great power?" There's a pause and the princess smiles weakly. "I'll go and make sure you can move to other places. I'll find that great power so should calm down, okay? Can you make your wind a little weaker now?" And with that, the wind around them begins to die down. She smiles and says, "Thank you."

"It isn't just ghosts," says Kurogane. "That princess of yours can even speak to wind, huh."

"Amazing," says Anna.

Syaoran smiles. The princess begins to float down to him. He reaches his arms up and she takes his hands as the wind lowers her to the ground.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: There's only one chapter this week and I think that I'll probably only be able to post one chapter a week from here on out. I'm sorry about this but I'll probably make the chapters longer... Next week's chapter might be a bit short but they should get longer after that.<p> 


	72. Idol Country III

Idol Country III

The princess explains what the whirlwind told her. It had told her that it cannot move from this spot because of some great power. It didn't mean to cause any trouble.

Anna doesn't question how the girl was even able to speak to such a thing. In a way, such ability fits the girl's character perfectly.

Because the princess asked, the whirlwind has lessened the wind around them. They can walk freely now without the wind bothering them.

"Maybe that great power is Sakura's feather!" sings Mokona from Kurogane's shoulder.

Anna nods in agreement and crosses her arms over her chest. She says, "But that feather isn't here. If it was, Mokona would feel it." Mokona nods in agreement.

"In that case," says Syaoran, "Let's head back to the village. We'll ask them thoroughly for more information then after for the feather after that.

The princess nods. "Ok!" she says. The two of them start to walk away.

Kurogane groans and this startles Anna. Standing next to him, she looks up at him to find an annoyed and pissed off look on his face. She hears him curse under his breath. It sounded like him complaining about the beast not actually being a beast.

"Aww!" goes Mokona. "Kuro Kuro is pouting because he didn't get to fight again!"

"SHUT UP!" barks Kurogane. He reaches for the white creature but Mokona jumps away with a giggle and jumps towards Anna. Kurogane freezes his attempt to catch Mokona when it lands on Anna's head. The creature giggles and hides behind her neck, under her hair. "Why you little…!"

"Kuropo would never hurt Wifey-chan!" Mokona giggles.

Kurogane looks to Anna then and she looks back. She smiles and he groans, stumping off towards the direction of the village. Anna lets out a chuckle and follows after. She keeps her distance behind him as he continues to stomp his feet. Mokona's right, he's pouting. This makes Anna giggle to herself. Kurogane is such an amusing man. He first comes off as this scary man in black with a bad attitude but as one gets to know him better, he turns out to not be a bad guy. But behind all that, he has childish traits too, she's noticed.

As they walk on, Anna notices Kurogane's pace slow down and he no longer stumps his feet. Believing that he might have calmed down a little, Anna quickens her pace and walks up next to him. She's walking normally now, not jumping over things when there is no need to.

Mokona jumps from her shoulder and bounces over to the princess. The girl smiles at it and the two begin to chat. Anna's mind begins to wonder then. She thinks of only moments ago, when Kurogane was carrying her. His grip was tight around her and he had no intention of letting go. She liked the feeling and the thought makes her smile. She recalls how close their faces were when he was holding her and she blushes. She brings a hand to her face to hide it. She can feel Kurogane looking at her and she doesn't look up him. She's starting to feel uncomfortable and then she feels upset with herself that she's feeling uncomfortable. The thought she has next just worsen the feeling.

She thinks of how she could've kissed him then, if Mokona wasn't there. She probably still could have but Mokona would've seen and probably wouldn't let it go and tease them about it. And that would probably annoy the hell out of Kurogane. The more she thinks about kissing him, she thinks of the times she has kissed him. Each time was in Oto country, which wasn't a real country. Something about that isn't right. Does that mean that they've never really kissed?

The distress of the idea must be showing on her face because Kurogane asks if she is all right. She looks up at him, startled by the question. She finds him looking at her and she blushes but says that it's nothing. He frowns and she looks away. "I'm just thinking," she confesses but has no intention of giving any details.

"SMOKE!" screams Syaoran. Anna looks to him and follows his gaze. Ahead, where the village should be, smoke rise. "FAI-SAN!" The boy starts to run and the princess follows after. Anna runs after them and Kurogane starts after her. The closer they get, the louder the sound of drums gets.

"Maybe they couldn't wait and decided to sacrifice Fai!" says Mokona. "He's probably well done!"

They reach the village to find Fai by the bond fire with the bunny people. They dance around the fire with drums and smiles on their faces. Upon seeing them, Syaoran and Sakura fall over themselves. Anna lets out a sigh of relief and a small chuckle. Bending down, she helps the princess sit up.

Kurogane frowns and lets out a groan. "What the hell are you doing?" he questions.

"It's a ceremonial dance they taught me!" Fai answers, walking over them and setting down the drums he was using.

"Cool!" goes Mokona. It jumps over to him. "But why the ceremony?"

Fai stops in front of everyone and gives a wide smile. He holds up his hand, "Here." In the palm of his hand sits one of the princess's feathers. Mokona's eyes open and the creature grins.

"A feather?" shouts Syaoran.

This just upsets Kurogane and he gives an annoyed face.

"So it was here, huh," says Anna, not sure what to make of such a thing. It kind of pisses her off.

Fai nods and explains that the villagers had it. It fell and they picked it up and it was around that time that the beast appeared. He forms this last part as a question for the bunny people.

"Really?" one questions another.

"Maybe…" ponders another.

"The beast was a whirlwind," Anna says.

"Ah!" goes Fai. "So that's what it was after all. After I heard the whole story, that's what I figured."

"But what whirlwind attacks for sacrifices?" questions Kurogane, totally confused.

"Well, about that…" Fai turns towards the bunny people. He smiles widely with his smiles closed and says, "Ok! One more time!"

"The beast is strong and scary!" says one, throwing their hand in the air.

"Really, really scary!" goes another.

"It blew our homes away and destroyed everything!" explains a different one.

Another bunny person says, "We couldn't win, even if we fought it!"

"If we can't beat it, what about giving it a sacrifice?" one of them suggests.

"That might work," one says.

"Yeah!" one agrees.

"If we give is something tasty, then we might be all right!" one says.

"We'll surely be all right!" says one.

"Alright!" cheers another.

"They said it all right!" says one in a cheery voice.

"Who?" ask another.

Another asks, "Who said what?"

"That terrible thing, maybe?" one suggests.

"The beast said it!" one calls out.

And in unison, they all say, "The beast said that if we give it a tasty sacrifice, it will stop its destruction!"

"IT DIDN'T SAY THAT!" barks Kurogane.

Anna lets out a chuckle. She slaps a hand over her mouth but continues to laugh. The whole thing is beyond amusing. It reminds her of a game children would play back in the town near the farm. Her laughter quiets down and she smiles, giving a sigh. She shakes her head. _This world was pointless,_ she thinks.

Fai hands the feather to Syaoran and he takes it and gives it to the princess. The feather fades into her chest and her eyes close slowly. She falls over but to boy catches her. The girl is sound asleep.

The wind begins to pick up around them. The bunny people begin to panic and Kurogane places himself next to Anna. Shielding her face from fly debris, she looks up at him from the corner of her eye and he looks down at her. She smiles.

The whirlwind comes into view then and the bunny people panic even more. They run around yelling as some are picked up by the wind. Fai, afraid of being thrown around by the wind himself, throws his arms around Anna, who then loses her footing. Kurogane grabs her arm and pulls her back into place, close to him than before. He doesn't let go of her and Fai cheers. Mokona giggles as it holds onto Fai's hair.

Looking up at Kurogane, Anna finds him annoyed with the whole thing.

The wind dies down as fast as it came. It disappears over the princess. As the wind fades, flowers fall over her. Syaoran smiles and call them a present from the whirlwind. The idea makes Anna smile. The whirlwind said it was stuck in one place because of a great power and Sakura told it she'd find the great power and do something about it. And she did. The feather was found and she took it into her, so now the whirlwind can move freely.

The bunny people cheer and run around with wide smiles and their hands in the air. Fai and Mokona join them. Anna lets out a chuckle and looks down at Kurogane's hand, which still holds her arm. He lets go then and Anna looks up at him and smiles. She looks away and watches as Fai and Mokona dance with the bunny people. Syaoran sits on the ground with the princess in her arms. He smiles and watches the fun. Anna takes a step towards them, prepared to take the princess so he can join the others if he wants. But she is stopped by Kurogane grabbing her elbow. Before she can react, he pulls her back and bends over her. He crushes his lips on hers.

The kiss is quick and leaves Anna's head spinning. She takes and double take of what just happened and blushes. Reluctantly, she looks up at him. He looks down at her and smirks. She runs a finger over her lips and ponders a thought. Since Oto was a dream country then the kisses there don't really count, right? She smiles to herself. Then this was their first kiss, right?

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So here's this week's chapter! Please read and enjoy and review.<p>

I have one question though... Is fluff a good thing? Do you want to see more or is there a line I shouldn't cross? I have plans on such things and I'm just wondering what you readers think. :) Thank you.


	73. Shara I

Shara I

The sky is dark but there is still light on the horizon. The building is very big and in a similar design as Yuko's shop and the castle in the Hanshin Republic. Looking around, Anna doesn't see anyone. She, Kurogane, and Fai walk through the grounds in search of anyone that might help them, since they're lost. Plus, they've be separated from Syaoran, the princess, and Mokona. However, they must not be far off since she can still understand what Kurogane and Fai are saying and they can understand her.

"Looks like we're lost, huh?" coos Fai, grinning.

Anna sighs and nods her nod. _That's not a good thing though, _she thinks. She hopes that the others are all right.

Fai smiles at her and pokes her in the cheek. She levels her eyes at him and he giggles, throwing his arms into the air. Looking ahead, Anna finds Kurogane stumping away. She stifles a chuckle. Kurogane hears and turns to glare at her but she smiles in return. With a groan, he looks away.

"I think he's angry," Fai says, smiling.

Anna agrees. "It's because you weren't able to fight again, right?" she asks, though she knows he's not going to answer, which he doesn't.

Fai lets out a chuckle then he begins to ponder a thought and his face grows serious. "Now that I think about it, that country was rather strange, wasn't it?" he says.

"Strange? How so?"

Kurogane stops his stumping and falls back to walk next to Anna. Fai walks on the other side of her and says, "It was a very hot and humid country but it was filled with trees with huge, long leaves." He looks to Anna and asks if she thought it was hot and she answers with a yes. He looks to Kurogane and asks the same thing.

"So what?" Kurogane answers.

"Well, the people living there were all cover in thick coats of fur. Isn't it strange for the residents of a country like that to be so furry?"

Anna thinks it over but not for long. It's strange and she tells Fai that.

Fai goes on to explain that when he stayed behind, he tried asking them. The bunny people told him that they were always in that country for as long as they can remember. In addition, even though the whirlwind destroyed many of their houses, they never had many to begin with. "One other thing, we were so close to the feather but Mokona didn't sense it. They said it fell and they gave it to us but if they had just been holding it, Mokona should've been able to tell where it was. But Mokona was only able to feel it faintly."

"So… what?" questions Kurogane. "That world was some kind of setup?"

"Perhaps," answers Fai.

Anna wraps her arms around herself. She finds the idea disturbing but not to the extent that it makes her uncomfortable. To be honest, she's had an unsettling feeling since Jade country, when the Princess Emerald told Princess Sakura that someone is watching them. She didn't like thinking about it so she ignored it. Guess she can't now.

Fai goes on to say, "Even if Sakura-chan really did hear the voice of the whirlwind, there's still the cute antics of those furry people… and other things… I get the feeling that we were fooled somehow." He makes a comment on how they didn't stay long after finding the feather.

"Hmmm," goes Kurogane as they reach a staircase.

"You have something to add?" Anna asks, descending the staircase.

"I've had feelings like somebody's been looking at us almost constantly since we started traveling between worlds. The only time I didn't feel anything was when we were at the Space Time Witch's place."

That doesn't surprise Anna. Yuko's shop is a place of wonders.

Fai grins and gives a kitty look at Kurogane. "Why didn't you say anything… to Syaoran-kun at least?" he asks.

"Even if I told him, he couldn't do anything about it. We don't even know who is doing the watching.

"So you didn't want to load him with excess worries?" Anna says.

"Ooh, Kuro-sama!" sings Fai. "You're such a nice guy!"

Kurogane glares at him. "You don't get to decide that!"

Anna chuckles as they reach the bottom of the staircase. Fai throws his arms around her shoulders. "I'm sure Wifey-chan agrees with me!" coos Fai.

Kurogane gives Anna a half-hearted glare and Anna smiles in return, with her eyes closed.

Just then, men show up out of nowhere. They're all dressed the same. They were white pants and long sleeved wraps tied with belts and dark glasses on their faces. They are all armed with things that look like short wooden bats.

Fai doesn't release Anna's shoulders and she gives up on trying to shrug him off.

"Who the hell are you?" barks Kurogane.

"You work for the Yuka-ku, huh?" the men go. "This Jinja is sacred ground! And we're not about to let the likes of Yuka-ku people dirty it up!"

"You-kakoo?" questions Fai, trying to pronounce what they just said.

"Geen-ja?" adds Anna. _Sounds like ninja, _she thinks, letting out a light chuckle.

Even Kurogane looks confused about the words they used.

"Don't play dumb!" they men scream, pulling apart their bats to reveal blades.

Kurogane gives a devilish grin and says, a hand on his sword, "You bastards drew first! That means you can't complain, no matter what happens to you!"

In the blink of an eye, Kurogane draws his sword and takes out the men closet to them. They fly back and land on the ground. There is no blood so Anna questions if he actually cut them. Then again, looking closer at the men he hit, she notices blood seeping through the sleeves of their right arms, the arms they used to hold the blades.

Fai releases Anna then and claps his hands. "That was so cool, Kuro-pyu!" he sings. This just pisses Kurogane off ever the more so Anna joins in with the clapping.

Kurogane groans and calls them both idiots. He looks to Fai and says, "Why are you just standing around watching anyway?"

"Hey, now! I knew better than to get in the way of Kuro-tan's big scene!" Fai answers.

The men start to pick themselves off and prepare to strike again. "GET THEM!" they scream, charging. Fai steps closer to Anna and Kurogane readies himself to fight back. Anna relaxes her hands as violet lightning dances on the tips of her fingers. She can't really fight back but she can defend herself if she has too. She doesn't want to burden anyone with having to protect her. She can at least do that much.

"STOP RIGHT THERE!" someone calls then.

The men stop their charge and turn to face the voice. Anna follows their gaze to a man with a faint smile on his face. His hair is long and pulled back in a ponytail with some falling on either side of his face. He has little glasses on his face and wears strange clothing, much different from what the armed men are wearing. His clothing seems much more official and gives him an air of importance. The sleeves are wide and full and long on his arms.

"What now?" complains Kurogane.

"Who could that be?" says Anna. It's not a question that's meant to be answered.

"No idea!" coos Fai, answering her question anyway.

"The master!" the men yell. "Souseki-sama!"

One of the men points to Kurogane, who tenses. The man yells, "These guys just wandered in the sacred ground of the Jinja! We even had kekkai's in place!"

The man they called Souseki walks forward, nodding in response to the men and continues to wear his faint smile. He seems almost indifferent to what's happening but also concerned about it as well.

"They broke through Souseki-sama's kekkai!" screams one of the men. Anna can't tell them apart at all, since there are all dressed the same with the same haircuts. It reminds her of the bunny people. They all looked the same too. "They aren't normal men!" the man yells, and then he thinks over his words and lets out a scream and points to Anna. "She's a woman! Women are NOT allowed in the Jinja!"

Before the men can react in any form, Kurogane steps in front of Anna, tense and pissed off. The look on his face, which Anna can't see, causes the men to take a step back.

Fai gives the men and "tsk, tsk" as if he were scolding them. "Don't mess with Kurger Burger's Wifey-chan!" he coos.

This makes Anna blush and Kurogane bark at him to shut up, but there's a little red on his cheeks as well.

Fai throws his hands in the hair and gives a big grin with his eyes closed. "You can't deny it!" He wraps his arms around himself and makes a kissy face. "I saw you two!"

Kurogane's mouth hangs open, nothing to say. Anna slaps her hands on her face, trying to hide the increasing blush on her cheeks.

Fai lets out and chuckle and opens his eyes. He puts his hands up in surrender. "Don't worry! I'm sure I'm the only one who saw."

Kurogane grumbles under his breath and puts a hand on the back of his head. From the corner of his eye, he looks down at Anna. Looking up at him, she removes her hands from her face. He looks away and she does the same. She's not sure what to make of this. It's not like they were trying to keep this a secret; it's just that it worked out that way. Then again, what is this? Shaking her head, she cast the thoughts away. It can be dealt with later.

"Anyway!" says Fai, facing Souseki-sama. "I don't think we broke through anything. We just landed inside whatever those kekkai things are from Mokona's mouth… I could explain what I just said, but I doubt you'd understand." A pause. "As for Anna-chan, we didn't know women weren't allowed here."

Souseki shakes his head, still smiling. "That's quite all right. If what you say is true, then it can't be helped." He looks to Anna and smiles. Anna smiles back. "No matter what, our people were violent towards you and that is unacceptable. I must apologize." He bows his head.

Fai smiles and gives a giggle. He pokes Kurogane in the cheek and says, "He looks very aggressive! How could you not mistreat us?"

"WHAT WAS THAT, YOU BASTARD?" barks Kurogane.

The man chuckles and says, "You don't seem like you're from the country of Shara."

"We're travelers," Fai answers. With this, the men behind Souseki begin to look Anna, Kurogane, and Fai with increased suspicion; not that they weren't before. Some look to Anna with disgust and it is really starting to irritate her. She crosses her arms over her front, pushing up under her bust, giving more emphasis to her being a woman. She gives a smirk and some of the men's mouths drop in disbelief that she just did that.

Kurogane looks down at her then as if saying, "What the hell are you doing?" She looks up at him and gives him a smirk. With a "tsk," he looks away.

The man steps forward, now standing only a few feet from the travelers. Anna drops her arms then and sticks her hands in the pockets of her pants.

"Is it just the three of you traveling?" Souseki asks.

Fai shakes his head. "There are two... No. There are three more."

"So you have more companions. Do you have an appointed place to meet them?"

"Nope. So we must be off and start the search!"

"I image that you will have to look everywhere and will need a base of operations." Souseki smiles with his eyes closed and claps his hands together. "If you don't mind, you may use this place and stay here as long as you like!"

The men start to protest, saying that such suspicious looking people can't stay at the Jinja, especially a woman. "This is a men-only Jinja!" they yell. "She can't stay here!"

Souseki looks to Anna and smiles. "I'm sure we can afford to make an exception this once."

"Master?" they men scream.

Souseki turns and faces the men and smiles as if there is nothing to worry about. "Even chance meetings may be ordained by fate. How can we call this a shrine if we don't help them out?"

"MASTER!"

He turns away from his man, his mind already made up. Anna catches eye contact with him and smiles. She places her hands on her knees and bows her head. "Thank you very much," she says.

The man chuckles and waves his hand. "You are very welcome."

She stands up straight. "I was a question, if you don't mind answering it," she says. The man nods and she continues, "I was wondering, what kind of this is this?"

"It's a shrine, right?" says Kurogane. "You worship gods here?"

The man shakes his head. "No, this is a Jinja. What we looks after is not a god, but people." He then introduces himself properly as Souseki, the master of the Jinja.

Fai then introduces himself and says, "I'm Fai," then gestures to Kurogane, "This is Kuropi," then he motions to Anna, "And this is his Wifey-chan."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'HIS'?" Kurgane barks. "And it's Kurogane!"

Anna clears her throat, blushing and points to Kurogane. "That's Kurogane," she says. She points to herself, "I'm Anna."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Here's this week's chapter. Hope you enjoyed it. Please Review. Thank you. :)<p> 


	74. Shara II

Shara II

The sky is darker than when they first arrived and the light on the horizon is gone. A small sliver of moon light shines in the sky. The only other light offered is from the countless lanterns that hang from the curved edges of the roof. Everything is beautiful and bathed in the faint golden light of the lanterns. Everything, the buildings and the even the air around them, seems so pure and fresh. Anna feels a little a ease, calm.

The three travel companions walk along walkways outside the buildings. The walkways are housed by roofs and act like the hallways, just outside. It turns out what Anna thought was just a really big building is a complex of buildings, all connected by the outdoor walkways. Souseki leads them and the other men follow behind, still angry, especially with Anna being here. Souseki had sent several of them off to do something they really didn't want to.

Souseki explains that the Jinja, since ancient times, has protected the country of Shara.

"From what?" asks Fai.

"From everything!" answers the men, yelling. "Attacks by foreigners… Plagues… and stuff…" They go on to say that Souseki's family has been the ones protecting the Jinja for generations. His family has strange spiritual power and that Souseki is the most powerful of them all.

"Just like a shrine and its kannushi," says Kurogane.

"Kannushi?" questions Anna, not too sure if she said that right.

Kurogane nods his head, saying that she did. "Someone who serves a god and protects its shrine."

"They have those in Nihon, too?"

"We've got shrines but no kannushi. Instead, we have the Princess-Miko."

Anna takes a wild guess. "Princess Tomoyo?"

"Uh-huh."

"If you don't know about the Jinja of Shara, then you must be from a very, very long way off!" the men scoff.

"That's right!" cheers Fai. The men freeze in disbelief and Fai giggles. He looks around then and says, "It seems you people are in a bit of trouble these days, aren't you?"

"Why do you say that?" Souseki-sama, his smile gone and shock on his face.

"It's not just the grounds but over there too." He points to a door, much different than the others. It's very tall and covered in designs unfamiliar to Anna.

There is a great difference between Forbidden Magic and Anna's magic. It seems as if all Forbidden Magic is somehow connected, since users can sense another's magic. There's no such connection between of the magic of Rojus. The more she thinks of the reason behind banning such magic, the more and more Anna finds it stupid. Then again, the first experience she had with Forbidden Magic was the attack launched by Rothbart on Odette's Wedding day. The thought makes her frown and she shakes her head. She doesn't want to think of such things. Rothbart is dead. Anna killed him herself. He was bleeding out and choking on his own blood. There's no way he could've survived such injures. There's a tingle in the back of her mind and she ignores it.

Once all this is over, she will return to the throne… or will she? She thinks of her uncle, who has been taking care of the kingdom in her place. He was the one that told her to go, to take a break, to put the pieces back together. She's forever grateful and indebted to him. The pieces of her may not all be put together, if not just broken into more pieces, but she has to reclaim the throne after all this is over. She's wanted to ignore this thought, push it to the back of her head, but it seems she can't anymore. And with every thought, she can feel her skin grow colder. She pulls her jacket and crosses her arms over her front. A shiver runs up her spine.

"Is it kekkai again?" asks Fai. "Besides that, there is an even stronger force over there, I'd say. It feels to me like you're protecting what's inside from something."

"I see," says Souseki-sama. "Judging from your swordsmanship and you intuition, you aren't ordinary travelers."

"Yep, these two are very unordinary," Anna says, smiling with her eyes closed.

Fai throws his arms around Anna's shoulders and pushes his cheek against hers. "Ah! You're special too, Wifey-chan!" he coos.

"I'm fine with being normal," she says, trying to shrug him off.

He whispers to her, "You're really cold, Anna-chan."

"I'm fine."

After a moment, he lets go and smiles at her. She smiles back but only faintly.

Souseki nods his head and whispers under his breath something about fate. "Please, come with me," he says after a moment. He leads the three travelers to the door and pushes it open. The smoke from incense falls out across the ground. "Let's talk," he says, "About what is happening right now." Pushes the door open all the way then and Anna peers into the room. In the middle of it sits a statue and ropes with paper tied to it hang from the ceiling throughout the room.

Souseki leads the three travelers inside and introduces the statue as "The statue of Yasha." Anna gets a better look of the statue. The statue is of a man sitting with a stone back board. The whole statue seems to be made of a dark gray stone. The man has long hair that falls into his face. His eyes are closed and his expression if cold. There are scars over his right eye and he holds a sword in his right hand.

They all step closer to the statue and before Souseki can start to speak, the statue begins to cry. Blood starts to run from the scared right eye. Shock echoes through the room but Anna doesn't let it show on her face.

Souseki goes on then to explain just what is happening. Every fall, when the moon is at its most beautiful, the statue of Yasha sheds tears of blood from his scarred right eye. Around this time is when the Suzuran Troupe returns from their travels and take up residence at the Yuka-ku. "This happen every year," he says. "And the disciples who keep up the Jijna…"

"Start to take up arms about the gang from Yuka-ku," says Kurogane, looking back at the men that stand outside the door.

Anna looks at them form the corner of her eye. Then she sighs and closes her eyes. She finds this all irritating. This is the kind of rivalry that is petty and a waste of time. Anna's never been a fan of conflict. She finds it to be a waste of resources and should warfare should only be made as a last resort. Throughout her reign as Crown Princess, there were never any such circumstances; not with her running the country and Odette handling relations with allies and neighboring countries.

"You said this happens every year," Anna says. "How long has this been going on?"

Souseki's smile falters and he looks up at the statue, as if looking for the answer. "Since long before I inherited the Jinja. My great-grandfather, who was master ages ago, left behind records that told of the statue of Yasha shedding tears of blood. The records relate the Suzuran Troupe being at the Yuka-ku to this odd occurrence."

"But why would some traveling troupe coming back cause a statue to bleed?" questions Kurogane.

"My great-grandfather had a theory that could relate this to the guardian of the Suzuran Troupe, the Ashura Statue."

To the side of Anna, she notices Fai tense a little at the name. She pretends she didn't notice.

"Ashura," says Kurogane. "So the god of battle is in this country, too?"

"They say Ashura brings war and calamity," says Souseki. He explains that Yasha is the god of the night and the dead. He says that it's possible that the destruction that Aushra brings sends people to the land of the dead. Souseki's great-grandfather's theory suggested that Yasha's tears are a warning for whatever calamity that Ashura may bring.

A man enters the room then, dressed in the same clothing as Souseki but wears something on his head. "Souseki-sama," the man says, bowing in apology to interrupting the conversation, "It is time for the ceremony."

Souseki nods and says, "Yes." He faces the travelers and smiles. "I must go now. I believe that there must be some reason you travelers entered our Jinja at this particular time; that you're here for a purpose." He follows after the other man and turns to face the traveler again before exiting the room. "I invite you to enjoy our hospitality. Please stay and rest until you can find your companions." He bows and heads to leave. Anna notices him say something to the men, who protest but soon give in.

Fai steps closer to the statue then and throws his arms behind his head.

"You look like you want to say something," says Kurogane.

"Hmmm. How do I put this," says Fai. "This statue… I don't know about it being a warning, but it looks like its crying. And I get the feeling that it's crying for another reason."

"For some other reason, huh?" Anna whispers to herself.

"HEY!" the men call form the doorway. The travelers turn to face them and Kurogane sends them a glare that causes them to yelp. One of them steps forward and says that a room and a meal has been prepared. The men then lead the travelers to their room. One of the men says that they can only spare one room. Then the men think over their words and looks over Anna. She only smiles like and says that there isn't a problem with her staying in the same room as Kurogane and Fai. This only sets the men off again and it starts making Anna irritated, rather than uncomfortable.

Fai butts in then, wrapping his arms around Anna's shoulders, and says that there's no problem with Anna staying in the same room. "Right, Kuro-sama?" he asks, smiling ear to ear.

Kurogane hides his face from them and grumbles something.

Fai giggles. "See? Kurger Burger agrees; then again, why wouldn't he?"

Kurogane barks back at him to shut the hell up.

And it's left at that. Anna is to share a room with Fai and Kurogane.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I know not too much happened between Anna and Kurogane in this chapter but next will be better. ;)<p> 


	75. Shara III

Shara III

Anna looks herself over, finding the new clothes rather comfortable. The skirt is like a wrap that hangs to her ankles and the top is like a robe with a small tie to hold it closed. The sleeves are long and reach to the tips of her fingers. The collar of the top is loose around her neck and reveals the head of the swan. The skirt and top are a light gray color. The clothes are large on her since they're meant for a man to wear. She had to pull the skirt up to under her bust so it wasn't too long for her to walk. From her understanding, the sleeves should hang past the elbows.

Around her waist is a sash that's she's having trouble tying around herself. It's much too long to just wrap around once and it probably needs to wrap around several times. This is the part she's having issues with. It crosses her mind to just go without it but denies the idea as soon as she has it. She's sure she'll get it sooner rather than later.

"Hey," barks Kurogane through the door. "Are you done yet?"

"Almost," she answers. Anna pulls the sash around herself again and tries tying it but finds it wrong.

Kurogane groans and grumbles something about where the hell the wizard ran off to.

Anna's in a small room just off a much larger one. The larger room is the one the men led them to. The three travelers were brought a meal and were to eat it with a pair of sticks. Anna and Fai couldn't use them well, Fai more so than Anna. This pissed off Kurogane greatly and he tried his best to show them how to use them but this only pissed he off more. Anna was able to pick up the technique but Fai just couldn't do it.

After the meal, some of the men brought the travelers a change of clothes. Fai pushed Anna into the small room to change and then disappeared shortly after that. Neither Anna nor Kurogane know where he wandered off to. Anna wonders if he's back at the statue of Yasha. Then there's also the idea that he just left to leave Anna and Kurogane alone. The idea makes Anna blush.

She ties the sash again and this time gets it right. She pulls it tight and ties a saggy bow in the front. With a sigh of relief, she looks herself over again, rather impressed with herself that she was able to get the outfit on by herself. They don't have any clothes like this in Rojus, or in any of the countries Odette traveled to. The clothing was all very similar in the countries surrounding Rojus; only some designs and embellishments were different in different countries. Past these countries, the clothes are very different but are more like what Princess Sakura wears.

Sliding the door open, Anna exits the small room. She finds Kurogane leaning back against the wall to her left with his arms crossed. She notices that he's changed his clothes. He wears black pants and a black robe like shirt. Across his chest and around his waist is a holster that supports his sword. He's barefoot and so is Anna.

She smiles at him and teases, "I'm done now."

Kurogane groans and says, "'bout time."

"Fai's still gone?"

He nods his head.

_I wonder where he ran off to_, she thinks. She runs a hand through her hair and reties the hair band. The band leaves her hair a bit looser than the other band did and she has to redo it every now and then but she doesn't mind. She walks over and leans against the wall next to Kurogane. She flexes her fingers, sore from her cold skin. She finds the whole thing irritating. From what she can gather, she was getting warmer to the touch. She didn't really feel it herself but now but she's sure that she was getting warmer. She was used to being cold all the time, used to blowing on her hands, the shivers that constantly ran up her spine, the ache in her joints. Then she started getting warmer. She's cold again and not sure if she likes it or not, after feeling some warmth from her own skin. She's used to being cold and has already come to terms with always being cold. She doesn't really understand why she's cold. _The physical condition reflects your mental condition_, she thinks. It's just a belief among her people. She's never really witnessed such a thing and has only heard of such conditions through several degrees to communication. When she thinks about, what is her mental condition that would make her skin the temperature of ice? Is it her cold heart? Is she really that coldhearted? When she thinks of someone who is coldhearted, she thinks of something totally indifferent to the feelings of others. Someone when only does what needs to be done, regardless of everyone else. This isn't her. She did everything for everyone else. She was indifferent, is indifferent to her own feelings. In other words, she's coldhearted to herself is anything. Is that the reason?

She doesn't want to think about it.

"Something's bothering you," says Kurogane.

His voice startles her but she doesn't let it show. Anna doesn't let this statement faze her. She keeps her expression even and content. "No, I'm fine," she answers.

Kurogane pushes himself away from the wall and steps to stand in front of her. With one hand on his hip, he leans forward and presses his forearm against the wall over her head. His hand is balled in a fist and he looks extremely irritated.

Anna keeps her expression even and looks away from him and pushes herself further into the wall.

"Something's bothering you," he says again, this time there's a demanding undertone to his words. He wants her to confess and tell him what she's thinking about rather than brush him off.

Anna bites her lip. It takes her a moment, but she finally says, looking at him, "I rather not talk about it." Or think about it.

He curses under his breath and leans back a little, removing his arm from over her head. He stands up straight and instead presses his hand on the wall to the side of her face.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, not looking at him.

"No," he says. "I guess it's none of my business anyway."

She shakes her head and, tentatively, looks up at him. "I just… don't like talking about myself… There are things I just don't want to talk about."

He frowns, not that he wasn't already.

She explains that she's used to hiding her true feelings and no one noticing otherwise. She's not used to someone pressing for the truth. "Sorry," she says quietly, smiling faintly.

He sighs and says there's no need for her to apologize.

She smiles and looks away from him and to the door that leads in from the outdoor hallway. She likes how he seems to care. She likes how he can see through her. She likes how he wants to know what's going on with her. At first, this all made her nervous and uncomfortable, but now she finds it rather good. She's something she can't explain; something she's not used to.

After a moment, she takes a step forward and rests her hands on his chest. This takes him by surprise but he doesn't move. Anna stands on her tip toes and reaches to kiss him on the cheek, but gets the side of his chin instead. She falls back and flattens her feet. She looks up at him and he looks down at her. His crimson eyes look at her, seeing her.

Kurogane removes his arm from the wall and wraps it around Anna's waist, pulling her into him. He wraps his other arm around her too. She blushes and doesn't protest. She thinks of how she wants to say that she's never been this close to him before but that's a lie. Nevertheless, it's only now that she's noticing just how warm and sturdy he is. His warmth feels so nice against the coldness of her and his sturdiness makes her feel safe. She never thought that she wasn't, but any possibility of such thoughts are now gone. Being with him like this makes her feel good. There's no other word. She doesn't feel uncomfortable but not totally not-nervous either. This is another thing that is new to her and a feeling she can't explain. Either way, she likes it.

Kurogane presses his lips into Anna's hair, on the top of her head. Anna blushes and fiddles with a hem on his shirt. She opens her mouth, ready to ask him a question that's been bothering her, but second guesses herself.

"If you have something to say," he says, "Just say it."

Anna chuckles lightly, amused by him. "It's not that easy," she says.

He grumbles something about her being a pain.

Taking a deep breath, Anna sucks it up. She doesn't look at him when she asks, "Aren't I cold… to you, when you touch me, I mean?" She thinks of before, when she had touched him while healing him back in Hanshin and Koryo. He flinched at her touch.

It takes him a while to answer. Anna never really pegged him to be the type to think about his words before saying them. "It doesn't bother me," he answers. "I'm used to it."

His words make her chuckle darkly. She wants to whisper an empty apology but doesn't. She knows he'll just say that there's no need for her to, that's there's nothing to apologize for.

Kurogane brings his hand to her chin and tilts her head up, causing her to look at him. She doesn't dare look away. "It doesn't bother me," he says again, leaning down to her. He presses his lips to hers and Anna's mind goes blank. She likes how when this happens, all her thoughts tend to runaway and all she can think about is him. She forgets the world around her and what she's running away from.

The kiss intensives and his arm around her waist pulls her closer, crushing her against him. As their lips move together, their tongues begin to chase each other. Anna wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself up, trying to get closer to him.

The ground begins to shake then. The shaking is violent and surprises both of them, causing them to stop what they're doing. Kurogane doesn't let go, however and his grip on her tightens.

"An earthquake?" barks Kurogane. He looks up and around and Anna hears yelling come from outside. Men yell that this must be the work of the statue of Ashura. All Anna can think is that these men are so simpleminded. She then wonders if Fai's all right. Then, she hopes Syaoran, the princess, and Mokona are all right. They must be close and they might be feeling this too.

The shaking clams and soon stops all together.

The front door slides open then and Fai rushes in with Souseki behind him. "Are you two okay?" he asks. Then he gives a cat's grin, noticing that Kurogane's still holding Anna and that Anna is still holding Kurogane. "Never mind. I can see that you are."

"Oh, shut up!" barks Kurogane.

Blushing, Anna reluctantly pushes herself from Kurogane. He grumbles under his breath but lets her go.

Souseki smiles and says, "I'm glad you two are all right."

Smiling, Anna nods her head. "Yes, we are," she says.

"In that case, there's no need to dwell on what just occurred. Would you three like to join me in having a drink?"

"Oh, yes!" answers Fai.

"NO!" barks Kurogane.

"I don't think you're allowed to drink, Fai," Anna smiles.

"Aww!" goes Fai, skipping over to Anna and throwing his arms around his shoulders. Anna's starting to wonder if he does this just to get a kick out of Kurogane. She's noticed him galring and Fai whenever he does this. "Please, Wifey-chan? I promise to be good!"

Kurogane barks that that's not going to happen. Souseki then says that it is customary to celebrate the arrival of guests by having a few drinks. He then adds that the sake of Shara is very good. This peaks Kurogane's interest and with a little more begging from Fai, he gives in. Souseki smiles and claps his hand in glee and leaves to return with several large bottle of sake, the name of wine in Shara. Kurogane says that's the name of wine in Nihon as well.

The four of them, joined by some of the other men of the Jijna, start to pour drinks and enjoy themselves. Anna, on the other hand, refrains from drinking as much as she can. She sips on two or three small cups of sake throughout the night. She has to admit, the sake is rather good, compared to all the other kinds of alcohol she's tried. It is sweet and doesn't really burn on the way down. Even so, she found it much more amusing to pour drinks for the men than drink herself. They got drunk very fast and turned into bumbling idiots, not that they weren't before. It turned out that they rather enjoyed having the company of a woman and constantly gave her compliments and started calling her "Wifey-chan" along with Fai. One of the men even asked her if she was actually married. When she told him that she wasn't, he asked her if she'd marry him. This caused Kurogane, who seemed un-fazed by all his drinking, to choke on his drink. Fai let out a squeal and teased Kurogane about being jealous. Kurogane screamed for him to shut up. Anna let out a chuckle and simply smiled at the man, poured him another drink, and said that she's already taken. This made Fai squeal again. When she believes no one is really looking, she catches eye contact with Kurogane, wondering if that was the right thing to say, though at this point she's not sure why it wouldn't be. He smiles back at her, causing her heart to flip. She's pretty sure that's the first times she's ever seen him smile. And that makes her smile.

Further into the night, the men and Souseki take their leave, leaving several unopened bottles of sake for the travelers to continue their fun. The three travelers take seats in the center of the room and the men continue to drink. Anna pours cups for Fai and questions if he should continue drinking or not. He seems to be doing better than when he drank back in Oto country. She's not sure what to make of such a thing. Kurogane on the other hand, gave up on using the small cups a while back and just drinks out of the bottle. He holds his liquor well. He doesn't seem the least bit intoxicated, considering that he's downed more than half a dozen bottles on his own.

"Why don't you drink with us, Wifey-chan?" asks Fai, grinning ear to ear.

Anna shakes her head and says that she'd rather not. This isn't the first time that he's tried getting her to drink. The other men tried as well and every time Anna said she'd rather not.

"Please! Just one cup!" He starts to pour her a cup.

"No, I'm good," she says, not about to take the cup. "I've already had a cup or two, thank you very much."

"Only a cup or two? You have to have another one! It's sooo good!"

"Just leave her be!" barks Kurogane.

"Oh, come on, Kurgs! I'm sure you wanna know too!"

"Know what?" He takes a drink from the bottle.

"What Wifey-chan is like when she drinks!"

Kurogane chokes on his drink. He doesn't say anything but looks at Anna, curious.

Anna looks at him, horrified. "You're joking," she says, hoping that he is.

"Ha! I knew it!" squeals Fai. He hands Anna a cup and she backs away a little bit. "You know you want to!"

"No, I don—" Fai pushes the cup to her lips and forces the drink into her mouth and for her to shallow. Fai throws his hands into the air and gives a look of triumph.

Yes, she thinks the sake is good. Yes, she is a little curious herself as to what she'd be little after drinking. But she doesn't really want to find out. Then again, she thinks of back in Oto when Fai forced food into her mouth twice. He was just able to get a drink in her mouth, though she wasn't really on guard, not that it would make much of a difference if she was. She thinks it over and wonders if she should just get up and leave. She doesn't really want to drink but she doesn't really want to leave either. She decides that it's best to drink with them, but on her terms. She'll pour her own drinks and cut herself off when things start to get uncomfortable.

She tells Fai that she gives in and pours herself a drink and sips it down. Fai complains and says you're supposed to shoot it down in one gulp. She glares at him and declares that she'll drink it how she wants. This takes him back but he smiles and giggles. She sighs, gives a smile, and shakes her head. Looking to Kurogane, feeling his eyes on her, she glares at him and sticks her tongue out at him. He calls her a pain in the ass and takes a drink from his bottle.

Anna's not sure how many cups she's had but she doesn't feel much different. She feels a little dizzy and but to the point she can't handle herself. Her words aren't slurred, from what she can tell anyway. She sits with her legs stretched out in front of her. Fai lies on his back to her right, his arms under his head and a grin on his face. Kurogane sits her to left, leaning back on one of his arms while the other holds a bottle of sake.

Anna sets her empty cup to her side and leaves it there. She decides it is best not to drink anymore. She runs a hand through her hair and moves her ponytail to hang over her left shoulder, leaving the swan uncovered. The silver bangle she got from Yuko jingles in her ear. She looks at it and her eyes wander to the wedding ring on her middle finger.

"Hey, Wifey-chan?" says Fai, looking up at her from the floor.

Anna looks down at him. "Yes?" she says.

"I've been wondering for a while now… Your swan tattoo; how much of you does it cover?"

This takes Anna aback but only for a moment. She looks down at her chest and grips the collar of her top. "Like my whole middle," she answers. She looks to him and says, "You wanna see?"

Kurogane quickly leans forward, slams the bottle on the floor, and coughs on his drink.

Fai sits up then and gives a chuckle, grinning like a cat. "I don't think Kuro-sama likes that idea!" he says.

Anna turns and faces Kurogane. "You can see too, if you want." She looks down at herself. "Though, I'm not sure how to take this off." She starts to pull at the collar, trying to take off her top.

"Stop that!" Kurogane barks, grabbing Anna's hands, stopping her. There's red on his cheeks. Fai giggles and teases Kurogane about blushing. He yells at him to shut up and then looks back at Anna. "You're drunk," he declares, frowning and looking angry.

"No, I'm not," Anna protest. "I feel fine."

Kurogane narrows his eyes at her. "You just tried to take your clothes off!"

Anna pouts her lips and narrows her eyes. "I don't see what the problem is."

"That's not something a lady should do! No! That's not something you would do if you were SOBER!"

Anna opens her mouth to say something but doesn't. She thinks it over. She thinks of what she would do if Fai asked the question before tonight. She draws a blank on an answer and then thinks about whether she really is drunk. A moment or two passes and she declares that she is drunk. It shouldn't take her so to think about something like that. It shouldn't be taking her this long to think in general. Then again, if she is drunk, should she be able to think like this? She shakes her head and pulls her hands free from Kurogane's. Looking at him, she says, "I think I'm drunk."

"No shit!"

"I'm going to sleep now."

"Goodnight, Wifey-chan!" sings Fai, falling back onto the floor.

"Goodnight," Anna says, crawling next Kurogane. She lies down a few inches from him and pulls her hands to her chest and bends her knees. She closes her eyes but doesn't fall asleep.

She hears Kurogane sigh and grumble. Fai lets out a chuckle and says something about Kurger Burger actually wanted to see Wifey-chan take her clothes off and calls him a pervert. Kurogane barks back and Fai shushes him, saying that Wifey-chan is sleeping. There's silence then before Fai says that Anna-chan is quite the character. Kurogane groans and Fai says something about Kuro-sama and Anna-chan being good together. He says that Anna-chan seems to be broken and that Kuropo is the perfect person to put the pieces back together. Kurogane grumbles something.

A hand brushes against Anna's cheek. She doesn't react to it, if anything, she smiles faintly. The hand is warm against her cold skin. She welcomes the warmth.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is a day late.<p>

I know this is a pretty fluffy chapter, in my opinion, but I think that's all right. ;) The next couple chapters probably won't be this fluffy but they'll definitely have some things to keep you entertained. ;)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review/comment. Thank you. :)


	76. Shara IV

Shara IV

_The heel of her shoe snaps and she stumbles. She falls and scrapes her knee but she keeps moving forward, kicking off her shoes in the process. Her vision is blurred from tears and her throat sore from sobs but she keeps stumbling down the hall. _

Keep living… Please.

_A whimper escapes her and she falls into the wall. _How could this have happened? _she think. Slowly, she falls to the ground but before she reaches it, the light fades from her eyes and she crashes down. Her body is now limp on the floor, lifeless, with a swan of black feathers over her. The bird flaps her wings as if it can't remember how to fly and bumps into the wall, then hits the floor with a thud. The bird lets out a cry and tries to fly back into the body. It takes several attempts before the swan disappears into the body. _

_Odile heaves and then coughs, tears pouring from her eyes. "Damn it all," she curses in a hoarse whisper. _

Promise me…

"_Odette," she cries, trying to bring herself back onto her feet. Her knees shake but she stands, using the wall for support. But she can't bring herself to move. What is she supposed to do now?_

_She tries to keep her eyes open. Every time she closes them, every time she blinks, she sees the guests and servants and butlers running and screaming and dying, Siegfried being crushed by stone and a river of his blood, and Odette's bloody face and weak smile. She chokes and lets out a scream. "Odette!" she sobs and her knees give out. She falls to the floor and covers her face with her hands. She catches a glimpse of the ring on her finger and whimpers. She grips it, holding onto the memories attached to it. She pulls her hand to her chest, trying to fill the hole that's now there, but fails. _

_There is a hole where her heart should be and nothing could possibly fill it. _

_She doubles over and cries like she's never cried before. This is the first time she's cried since Mother and Father died. She tried so hard to keep herself together then and all the days after, for Odette's sake, but now she can't. She's cracking, shattering into a million pieces. And with every thought of Odette, a hammer falls onto all the pieces. _

_Odette's gone. _

"_ODILE!" screams a man. "Odile!"_

_Slowly, Odile looks up to find an older gentleman standing at the end of the hallway, a knight of his kingdom at his side. He runs to Odile and the knight follows, wiping blood from his brow. The knight seems bruised and beaten but not seriously injured. The older gentleman's fancy clothes are torn and stained with blood. _

_Her sight blurs as new tears fill her eyes and cascade down her cheeks. "Uncle… Nicolai," Odile whispers, before falling forward, the swan once again at her side. The swan screams and opens her black wings into the air. _

_The older gentleman freezes, staring at the swan. "What is the world?" he says. _

"_Your Highness!" exclaims the knight, frozen as well. _

_The swan looks up at the older man and knight and remains silent. This is around the fifth time this has happened. She's starting to get used to it. One would think your soul leaving your body would be painful but it doesn't hurt. It feels like nothing but a slight chill. When the swan leaves Odile, she feels the life being sucked out of her as she breathes one last breath before falling over, but there is no pain. As a soul, she feels nothing, not even the environment around her. She's just chilled. When the swan returns to Odile, there is no pain, just a suffocating feeling as air returns to her lungs. Though it might be rather uncomfortable and sting a little, it's not painful. Maybe it's just Odile. Maybe the swan leaving her is painful but she just can't feel it compared to pain she's already feeling. Compared to the pain in her chest, nothing else matters. _

_The swan flies back into Odile's body. She coughs as she breathes life into her lungs. _

_The older man snaps out of his frozen state and falls to Odile's side, confused at what just happened. He pulls her lifeless body into his arms and sees like a small child who has just fallen down the stairs and being consoled by a loving parent. "Odile! What's happened? What was that swan just now?"demands Nicolai, not sure if there is even an answer. _

_It takes Odile a moment to speak, her voice caught in her sore throat. "He killed her," she finally chokes out. The swan doesn't matter. "Rothbart… He killed… Odette!" She screams and throws an arm over her face to push back the tears. Again and again the hammer falls. _

_The man is in disbelief, as well as the knight. The man says nothing but holds Odile tighter in his arms. The knight's breath catches in his chest and he falls against the wall. Neither wants to believe what has been said. _

"_No…" whispers Nicolai. "That's not possible. Siegfried was with her…"_

_Odile nods, almost angry. "He's dead too! Both of them are dead!" She lets out a scream. "She's dead! My sister is dead! What am I supposed to do now?" She sobs and lets out another breaking scream. "She was my reason for everything! What the hell am I supposed to do without her, Uncle?"_

_The man has no answer. _

_Odile pulls her arm away from her face and looks at her uncle. His face is round and covered in hair around his mouth and chin. As tears drip down the side of her face and tickle her ears, she says, "We made a promise. She broke her promise!" She grips her uncle's coat and buries her face into his chest and lets out another scream. "How am I to keep a promise with her if she can't keep a promise with me?"_

"_My Lord," the knight says, breathless. "We need to take Her Highness to sa—"_

"_NO!" scream Odile. _

"_Odile?" questions her Uncle, startled by her protest. _

"_I can't… I just can't… My promise… The promise I made," she looks up at her uncle, broken and confused. "If I'm to keep my promise, then I can't stay here!"_

You have to promise me that you'll keep living. Promise that you'll find happiness and keep living… Please.

"_This place… This palace is the reason," she says softly, releasing her uncle. "I… I don't know what…"_

_Her uncle brushes his hands against her cheeks, wiping away the tears. "Tell me what happened," he says, serious. Like any other monarch, he's push his personal feelings to the side. This is something Odile should be able to do. And she can but not now. Not under these circumstances. _

_Odile opens her mouth but nothing comes out. She looks down and the tears renew their march from her eyes down her cheeks. "Rothbart… He murdered Odette and Siegfried… in front of me... This is my fault. If I hadn't shown mercy that one time… If I just executed him like I was supposed to then… then none of this would've happened!" She doubles over and hugs self, trying to hold the pieces together. "I'm the one he hated! Odette had nothing to do with any of this! It's my fault… If only… If only I…"_

_Nicolai places his hands onto her shaking shoulders. "This is no one's fault. No one knew something like this could happen."_

_Odile shakes her head. "I should've known. I should've been able to do something…" Where were the defenses? How did Rothbart obtain a small army to sack the palace? How did he learn such Forbidden Magic is such a short amount of time?_

"_Calm yourself, Odile, my dear. Please, tell what happened to you."_

_In a soft voice, she explains how Rothbart chased after her, Odette, and Siegfried. How Siegfried fought him and how Rothbart had become a Master of offensive magic and easily killed how. How Odette was killed trying to save her little sister. Odile lets out a sob then and says that she shouldn't have done that. "Odette shouldn't have done that!" she screams. "I'm the one… I should be dead, not her!"_

"_Her Majesty did it to protect you," says the knight. Odile had forgotten he was there. _

"_That doesn't matter," she whispers. "Odette… She… I was supposed to be the one to protect her…" She looks down to the wedding ring on her middle finger. She remembers picking it out with Siegfried and when he asked for her blessing to marry Odette. She lets out a whimper and pulls her hand to her chest. _

"_Odile…" trails her uncle. He grips her shoulders and readies to pull her to her feet. Odile doesn't protest but she doesn't help with his efforts either. Nicolai demands the knight to help him and he does. The knight pulls Odile to her feet and prepares to lift her to carry her but the swan leaves her body then. Odile goes limp and collapses in the knight's arms. Nicolai yells and the knight falls to his knees, the Crown Princess in his arms. _

"_Is this-Is this Forbidden magic?" questions the knight, looking the swan once over. The swan's black feathers shine and the silver eyes glisten as if they were moons. The long feather of her tail trail on the ground as the bird pecks at the limp body. The swan disappears and Odile awakens. _

_Nicolai falls to his knees by the knight. "What has happened to you, Odile?" he demands. _

"_A curse," she answers softly. "My soul is no… longer attached to me… so…"_

"_How…?"_

"_Forbidden magic… I don't…"_

"_Is there a way to fix this?" asks the knight. _

_Odile pushes herself away from him and sits up. "I don't know," she answers. "It's Forbidden Magic so I don't know…"_

"_Then we must ask someone who does!" says her uncle. _

_She shakes her head. "No. Such magic is outlawed in Rojus and as Crown Princess, I can't…"_

"_Since when did you care about such trivial things?"_

"_Since I'm going to be queen." She chokes on her words. She can't be queen. How can she? Not in this condition. Not if she wants to keep Odette's promise. This palace, the court life, the duties of a royal; all these things upset her and turned her cold. If she's to find happiness like Odette asked, how is she to do it in a place like this? _

_She's not even fit to be queen. She's not a people person. That was Odette's job. That's what she was good at. No one did it as well as she did. _

_Nicolai shakes his head. "Not in this condition," he says. "We have to fix whatever this is."_

"_How, My Lord?" asks the knight. _

"_We'll find a user of such magic."_

"_No!" barks Odile. _

_The older man ignores her. He's already made up his mind. He looks to the knight. "You will take her out of here. You will do this with the utmost discretion and take her away from Rojus. You'll find someone who can help her."_

"_My Lord—"_

"_That is a request directly from your king."_

_The knight nods, reluctant. "Yes, My Lord."_

_Odile opens her mouth to protest but nothing comes out. _

_Nicolai looks her straight in the eyes. "This is Sir Alexander of my Royal Guard. He will take very good care of you. You will fix this curse and then return to your throne, but there is no rush. I will repair the palace and watch over Rojus until you return." He brushes a hand on her cheek and gives a smile. "But take your time, Odile, my dear niece. Again, there is no rush."_

Anna's eyes flutter open but she doesn't move.

After that, she left with the knight in secret. They crossed the Rojus border and searched for a user of Forbidden Magic. With each day that passed, Odile grew weaker as her soul kept leaving her body. She became quite the burden to the knight but he didn't complain. Took some time but they found who they were looking for and, for a price, connected her to Yuko. The bond between her soul and body was beyond repair but the witch could seal her soul into her body. Odile agreed and gave her time in exchange for the seal. Afterwards, she and the knight made contact with Nicolai and told him what happened. And one thing led to another and the knight returned to Nicolai, or at least that's what she thinks happened, and Odile retreated to the countryside of a distant country.

Anna doesn't remember the details of those days. She doesn't remember much of it actually. She was too out of it to really retain what all happened. She can barely remember what Alexander looked like, though she's sure she would recognize him if she saw him.

…_take your time, Odile, my dear niece… there is no rush…_

It's been two years. How much longer can she stay away? How much longer until the bracelet breaks?

"Hey, you awake?" demands Kurogane.

Anna grumbles under her breath, pulling the memories aside. Now is not the time to think out such things. There are more important matters at hand, like finding Syaoran, Princess Sakura, and Mokona. Anna pulls herself from the floor, her head throbbing. Running a hand through her bangs, she finds her ponytail shaggy more than it should be. She sits up and fixes it.

"Good morning, Wifey-chan!" coos Fai.

Anna winces. "Good morning," she says back. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and tries to recall the night before. She drank, that she knows. She blushes, remembering what happened. Before she can think twice about it, she looks up at Kurogane, who sits next to her. He looks at her and her blush increases. She slaps a hand over her mouth and looks away from him.

"Did you sleep all right?" asks Fai.

Anna doesn't look at him. "Yeah," she says quietly, not wanting to go into detail.

There's a knock at the door then.

"Come on in!" calls Fai. He seems rather cheery this morning, considering how much he drank. Back in Oto, after spending the whole night drinking, he had a massive hangover. This time, he seems completely unaffected. Maybe it's because Oto wasn't a real world. Anna decides not to think too much into it.

Souseki enters the room, a smile on his face. "Sorry to disturb you," he says, "If you don't mind, would you join me for breakfast?"

Fai grins. "Of course!" he answers, standing. He looks to Anna and Kurogane. "Or should I leave you two alone for a bit?"

"Will you stop that?" barks Kurogane, standing, angry looking. Fai giggles and skips up next to Souseki. The man smiles with a nod and steps out of the room. Fai giggles and follows after.

Kurogane grumbles something about how annoying Fai is.

Anna blushes and stands slowly, sure not to upset her head. Kurogane grumbles under his breath and grabs Anna's arm, helping her to her feet. She stumbles a little but he steadies her. "Thank you," she says softly, looking up at him. She smiles at him and shock crosses his face. Or an expression that looks like a shocked face.

He looks away from her, a little red to his cheeks. "Don't mention it," he mumbles.

She opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. She thinks of the night before. She tried to take her top off. She resists slapping her palm against her forehead. She's never drinking again. She can't believe she did something like that. Kurogane must think… What does he think? When she thinks it over, it makes sense. Fai asked about the swan and instead of telling him she was going to show him. She just can't believe she was actually going to do it, if Kurogane hadn't stopped her. But, now that she thinks about it, she's seen him without a shirt on. The thought makes her blush. She slaps her hands over her face, trying to hide her embarrassment.

"Hey," he says, ignoring her state of distress.

Anna looks up at him and moves her hands from her face. "Yes?" she asks.

He looks down at her and asks how she slept. "Something seemed to be bothering you. Like you were having a bad dream."

This takes Anna aback. She never really expected a question like this from him. "Ah," she says, not sure how to answer. She looks away from him and says, "It was more like a memory but… it wasn't that pleasant. I rather not talk about it."

He nods as if he knew she'd say something like that. He looks at her for a long while, debating on whether or not to say something else. Anna doesn't push him to say anything. Instead, she sets a hand on his arm and looks up at him. "Don't worry about it," she says with a smile.

Kurogane groans.

Anna's smile fades. "Sorry."

He sighs. "No. It's fine." He leaves his mouth as if he was going to say more but nothing comes out. After a short moment, he looks down at her and Anna's heart flips. He brushes a hand against her cheek and says, "When was the last time you had a decent night's sleep?"

"Ah, oh… I don't remember." It's a honest answer.

He frowns.

"Sor—"

Kurogane leans down and presses his lips to hers, cutting her short. After a moment, he leans away and looks her in the eye. "You say that too much," he says before kissing her again. Anna's getting used to this, though her heart flips each time. Either way, she likes it.

He leans away and Anna smiles with a giggle. "Good morning, by the way," Anna says.

"Huh? Oh, yeah," says Kurogane. "Good morning."

And with that, the two head after Fai and Souseki.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Sorry this chapter is so late. For some reason the website wouldn't let me upload my chapter. : But here it is! By the way, I'm changing my update day to Thursday rather than Wednesday. So the next chapter will be on 2/8/12.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I know I said something about there not being a lot of fluff in the next chapters but I think I might've been lying. I just can't help myself. ;)

Thank you for reading. Please review/comment. You're posts really make my day. :D


	77. Shara V

Shara V

Anna sits on the floor with Kurogane to her right and Fai to his right. In front of them are trays with breakfast. Anna's not sure what it is she's eating but it tastes good and she nibbles on it. However, she's not really in the mood to be eating. She's just eating for appearance's sake. She knows that if she doesn't Fai will do something about it.

She watches as Fai struggles to use the chopsticks. That's what Kurogane called them. Anna's using the chopsticks just fine but Fai just can't get it. Souskei shows Fai a different way of using them: stab the sticks into the food rather than try to pick it up. The whole thing makes Anna chuckle under her breath but only halfheartedly. Kurogane ignores it all, annoyed, and eats his breakfast.

The memory from last night still echoes through her head and causes a stabbing pain in her chest. But she doesn't feel as if she wants to cry. It's the memories of the life she had with Odette that make her cry. It's all the peaceful days and time spent with Odette. It's all the things she took for granted and things she can't get back. It's all this that hurts the most to remember and makes her want to cry and not the massacre its self. That was the day that all hell broke loose and when her heart broke into millions of pieces and her world fell apart but she cannot shear tears for it. It does upset her of course but it's just that she doesn't have any more tears to shed for that day.

If anything, she feels anger and disappointment towards herself. She couldn't protect Odette. She couldn't stop Rothbart. She gave in to her weakness. She broke her promise.

_I know you're the youngest but you have to be strong for your sister's sake, okay?_

It just makes her angry with herself.

She can feel someone looking at her. Probably Kurogane. But she doesn't react. She knows that her feelings are showing on her face. Normally she would try her best to hide her true feelings but what's the point? Kurogane can see right through her. Also, she's getting tired of pretending.

"SOUSKEI-SAMA!" scream the men of the jinja, running into the room.

They startle Anna.

Souskei smiles at them, a little upset. "I'm dinning with our guests," he says.

"We're sorry!" the men yell. "But those girls from the Yuka-ku!" Several of the men move aside to reveal others standing behind them, battered and bruised.

"They sent us flying!" one of the injured men screams. "There was this kid with an amazing kick!"

This causes Kurogane and Fai to perk up, more interested in what's going on. Anna thinks of how Syaoran mainly fights with his legs. _Could that be him?_ Anna thinks.

"It was a girl too!" they add.

_No. Not him. _Anna lets out a sigh. They need to start looking for the others. Anna hopes that they are all right.

Souseki stands then and leads the men out of the room and talks with them.

Fai leans closer to Kurogane and whispers, "I thought they might have been talking about Syaoran-kun."

"Same," says Anna. "But Syaoran isn't a girl."

"Hmmm." Fai thinks for a moment and grins. "I wonder where Syaoran-kun and the others are right now…? They can't be far off, considering that we can still understand each other."

"We should probably start looking for them then."

Fai nods with a smile, agreeing with her. "Are you all right, Wifey-chan? You seem upset. Did Kuro-sama do something to you?"

"WHAT WAS THAT? Why the hell do you think I did something?" barks Kurogane.

"'Cause Kuropi is the type to do stuff even when told not to."

"Tha-I'm telling you I didn't do anything!"

Fai giggles, gives a cat's grin, and wiggles his eyebrows. "Sure you didn't," he says sarcastically.

"Shut up!"

"He didn't do anything," Anna says, intervening. "It's just…" She sinks in her seat then, her hair falling over her eyes, hiding them. "No matter how many times you ask that, the answer will be the same," she whispers. _I'm fine. There's nothing bothering me. _

The two men calm down and turn serious.

"Wifey-chan?" says Fai.

"Let her be," commands Kurogane.

"But—"

The ground begins to shake then. This pulls Anna out of the dark hole she fell in. She decides that it's better to pretend. Not for the sake of fooling others to think that she's fine but rather to fool herself. She doesn't want to feel like this. She wants to pretend that she doesn't.

"Another earthquake?" says Fai.

"You've got to be kidding me!" yells Kurogane.

Screaming and yelling comes from outside as the ground continues to shake.

Fai stands and so does Kurogane, grabbing his sword. Anna doesn't even try to follow them. She knows she'll just fall over. Fai says that they should check on what's going on outside and heads for the door. He stumbles out and Anna hears him speak to Souseki.

Kurogane reaches a hand down to Anna and, hesitantly, she takes it. He pulls her to her feet and she finds her bearings but he doesn't let go of her hand. He pulls her to the doorway, keeping her steady. Her grip on his hand tightens slightly. For some reason, she doesn't feel as tired as before.

Looking out into a courtyard, Anna finds the men of the Jinja stumbling about, yelling in panic. "This has been going on too long," Anna says out loud. This is twice as long as the last one. No. It's even longer. The ground is still trembling.

"Look!" screams someone, pointing up to the sky.

Looking up, Anna finds the sky to be opening up. The blue morning sky opens up above them look a sliding door. Within, colors swirl, just like when Mokona opens its mouth and takes them to another world.

"What the hell is this?" questions Kurogane, pulling Anna closer to him.

"WHAT'S HAPPENING!" scream the men. "It has to be the work of the statue of Ashura!"

"That's right!" screams another. "The Ashura statue must be doing all this!"

"These guys," whispers Anna. _Single-minded fools. _

"I can't take it anymore!" scream of the men. "We have to destroy the statue!"

"That's right!" the other men agree.

"STOP!" yells Souseki. Anna follows his voice and finds him in the middle of the courtyard with Fai at his side.

"Master?"

"Even if the statue brings calamity, I still cannot let you destroy it!"

"But Master!"

"Shut it!" Anna barks at the men and they comply but murmur. "That statue is the god of the Yuka-ku, right? You can't just go around destroying gods! You won't stop anything, you'll just piss it off! If this is what comes from the statue in one piece, imagine what will happen if it's in a thousand!" This shuts them up. "You fools are so blinded by one reason why that you can't even conceive any other and you become ignorant of the possible outcomes of your own actions."

In Rojus, there is only one god that is worshipped and that is the Goddess Vera. Other countries have different gods and goddesses that they worship. Many countries have great tolerance of another's religion, Rojus included. This tolerance reflects Anna's views on other forms of worship. She is very open-minded and respecting of such things. She doesn't wish to interfere with them but she cannot stand by and allow another to. It just doesn't sit well with her.

She catches eye contact with Souseki. He's startled but smiles at her, grateful. She smiles back. She sighs and calms herself. Didn't she say that she would refrain from such outbursts? The thought causes her to stifle a chuckle. What's the point of make promises and vows when all she does is break them?

"I agree with Anna-san," he says. "We must find the reason why this is happening before we take any rash action."

Anna takes a deep breath then, trying to calm herself. Kurogane questions if she's all right and she replies that she's fine. He calls her a pain in the ass. Anna chuckles and looks up to the sky. Kurogane follows her gaze.

"Do you think that this has something to do with the princess's feather?" he asks.

"I'm not sure," Anna answers.

Kurogane frowns. "I don't like the feeling that's coming from up there."

"Huh? What do-?" A shiver runs up Anna's spine then and her breath catches in her throat. Her hearts begins to race and she can feel Kurogane tense up next to her and he moves free hand so that he's ready to draw his sword. Fai staggers up next to them, his face dark, and looks up to the sky. Anna follows his gaze and finds that the rainbow of colors gone from the opening in the sky. Now there is a night sky on the other side that is completely overwhelmed by a white moon.

"You feel that?" Fai asks Kurogane.

"Yeah," he answers. "There's a strong murderous feeling behind that opening."

_So that's what this feeling is, _Anna thinks.

Fai frowns. "And it's coming this way."

Kurogane's grip on her hand tightens a bit and Anna steps closer to him, almost pressing against him. As long as she's with him, she knows that she's safe.

A light even brighter than the moon shines from the opening.

A breeze picks up, centered about the travel companions, pulling them towards the opening. Just as when Mokona would move them, they start to disappear in a whirlwind. Kurogane drops Anna's hand and wraps his arm around her waist, pulling her close. Anna grips his shirt.

"What the hell is happening?" Anna questions.

"We're being taken away!" answers Fai, forming the statement more as a question.

Before anything else can be said, the colors overtake them.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: FINALLY! I've updated! I'm so sorry it took so long but here it is! I hope you enjoyed it and please reviewcomment. :)

If you haven't checked out my FYI's on my profile, it says that I'll be updating everything other week on Thursdays so there won't be a chapter next week. The week after that is my spring break so my plan is to write enough chapters to get through the rest of my school year in order to stick to my every other week schedule. This is my plan and I'm gonna try my best to stick with it! ;)


	78. Moon Castle I

Moon Castle I

The colors fade away and a forest is revealed. Beyond the forest stand mountains. They reach far up into the sky but are covered in green all the way up. It's night and the sky is dark with a full moon at its center. The moon shines so bright that everything is illuminated as if the sun were out instead.

Looking around, Anna notices that she, Kurogane, and Fai are standing on the edge of a dirt road. Kurogane lets out a deep breath next to Anna. His grip on her waist tightens before he finally lets her go. She steps to the side and looks around. There's no sign of anyone else. There's no sign of the princess, Syaoran, or Mokona. Anna's pretty sure they moved worlds but how can that be?

"Watashitachi wa ima doko ni iru?" says Kurogane.

"Chto?" says Anna, looking up at him. _What?_

"Nani?" he goes, looking down at her.

"Ah!" Fai exclaims then. Both Anna and Kurogane turn to face him. Fai points a finger at Anna's face, startling her. "Wifey-chan! Vos yeux sont noirs!"

"Huh?" goes Anna, confused, and then she notices. His eyes, once a brilliant blue, are now black like coal. "Chto sluchilosʹ s tvoimi glazami?" she says, pointing to his face. _What happened to your eyes?_

"Oi!" goes Kurogane. He points a finger to Fai's face. "Anata no me wa kurodesu!"

Anna looks up at Kurogane then. His eyes are black too. She touches her face. Fai pointed at her. Does that mean her eyes are black now too? "Chto chert vozʹmi proiskhodit?" she says. _What the hell is going on?_

"Quelle était cette?" says Fai, smiling but confused.

Kurogane groans then and pulls at his ear. Anna covers a hand over her mouth. She can't understand what they're saying. Looking at Fai, she says, "Vy ne mozhete ponyatʹ chto ya govoryu, ne tak li?" _You can't understand what I'm saying, can you?_

"Je ne comprends pas ce que vous dites," he says with a giggle in his voice.

"Kore wa waratte iru jikan wa arimasen!" barks Kurogane.

Fai looks at him with a grin and shakes his head. "Je ne vous comprends pas, Kuropo."

Kurogane groans again and he folds his arms across his chest. He grumbles under his breath.

"Mokona," Anna says. Both Fai and Kurogane perk up at the name. They can't understand each other and the only possible reason why is Mokona.

"Il doit être parce que nous sommes loin de Mokona!" says Fai.

"Naze, ano chīsana buta no manjū!" grumbles Kurogane.

How far from the white creature are they that they can no longer understand each other? Before they moved, they were close enough to it, and possibly the princess and Syaoran, but now they're not as close as before. What the hell happened? How far were they moved? Are they in a different country? Could they possibly be in a different world entirely? The idea sends a shiver up Anna's spine. She's not sure what else to think. Either way, the three of them are a long way from the others.

"Tak chto teperʹ u nas net sredstv svyazi," Anna says quietly. _So now we have no means of communication. _Fai's language sounds familiar but she doesn't understand a word of it and Kurogane sounds like he's speaking nonsense. And as far as she knows, Fai and Kurogane have no idea what she's saying or what each other are saying. "Chto my budem delatʹ?" _What are we going to do? _She covers a hand over her mouth again. What's the point of speaking if they can't understand her? She'll have to come up with other means of communication with them.

"Kore wa o shiri no itamidesu!" moans Kurogane.

Fai giggles and says something that no one can understand. "Bon, je me demande où nous sommes maintenant," he says more or less to himself. He looks around and steps out into the middle of the road. He looks one way then the other, then again. He turns to face his companions. "Quel chemin devons-nous aller?" he says.

Kurogane mumbles, angry.

Anna drops her hand from her mouth and smiles at Fai. She can't understand what he's saying but she thinks she has an idea. "Nam nuzhno iskatʹdrugie." _We need to look for the others. _Fai looks at her, smiling and confused. She then says, "Syaoran, Mokona, i Printsessa Sakura."

"Ah!" he goes. "Oui! Nous avons besoin de chercher Syraoran, Mokona, et la Princesse Sakura-chan!"

Anna got the names but that's it. She sighs and smiles weakly. This is going to be troublesome.

Kurogane walks up to them then. "Sokode, wareware wa sagashi tsumorida Syaoran, Sakura-hime, to manjū?" he says.

Anna looks up at him. "Manju?" she says as best she can. She got two names from what he said and this one word. Manju is something he's said before and she thinks it has something to do with Mokona but she's not sure.

He looks at her and nods. "Buta no manjū," he says. "Mokona."

She tilts her head to the side. She recalls Kurogane calling Mokona a bun of some kind. He's called it a rice ball too. So manju is one of the names for Mokona. That's not very helpful now that she thinks about it. She sighs, disappointed, but smiles at him.

Fai says, "Quel chemin devons-nous aller?" He points in one direction then to the other.

He must be asking which direction they should go. To Anna, both look the same. She looks around again and sees nothing that might help them decide. She shrugs and says, "Ya ne znayu." _I don't know. _

Kurogane thinks for a moment and points in one direction. "Rettsu wa, kono michi o iku," he says.

Fai follows his gazes and smiles. "De cette façon il est alors."

The three of them head in the direction Kurogane suggested. Anna walks between them with her arms folded in front of her chest. They're still in the clothes they received at the Jinja. She's not too sure why but she doesn't like it. She wants her sweater. Yes, she's changed clothes in every world they've been to so far, except for one, but she's always changed back. She loved her sweater. It was soft and warm and made her feel at home. Now she's stuck in foreign clothes and her original clothes are probably lost now. She sighs at the thought and tries to push it away.

"Tout va bien, Wifey-chan?" asks Fai.

"Huh?" she goes. She smiles and says, "Da, ya v poryadke." _Yes, I'm fine. _She still can't understand him but she's pretty sure he was asking if she was okay. It was just the way he said whatever it is he said. He always asks her if she's all right.

He nods then thinks something over. "Da?" he says, looking at her questioningly.

She nods her head. "Da." _Yes. _

Fai smiles and nods his head. "Oui," he says.

Anna gets it. She shakes her head and says, "Net." _No. _

Fai shakes his head and says, "Non."

The two of them look to Kurogane then and he looks at them like they're crazy but nods his head and says, "Hai." Then he shakes his head and says, "iie."

Anna thinks for a moment. This is probably the best way to learn each other's languages. Anna points to the sky then and says, "Nebo." _Sky. _

Fai smiles and follows her example. He points to the sky and says, "Ciel."

With a groan, Kurogane says, "Sukai." Then he points up to the moon. "Tsuki."

Anna nods and says, "Luna." _Moon. _

"Lune," says Fai. He thinks for a moment and looks around. He runs over to a tree and rests a hand on it. "Arbre," he says.

Anna and Kurogane stop walking. Kurogane moans, annoyed with everything. Anna looks up at him and gives him a smile with her eyes closed. Anna walks over to the tree and rests a hand on it. "Derevo," she says. _Tree. _She points up to the leaves and says, "List'ya."

Fai nods and points to the leaves. "Feuilles," he says.

These are more or less useless words but it's a start.

This goes on for a while. The three of them share words of their native languages until they have some understanding of them. They still cannot form entire sentences but they're getting the hang of semi-understanding of what they're saying from context and the few words they've learned.

Now they continue to walk down the road. The moon has started to move downwards and Anna lets out a yawn.

"Êtes-vous fatigué?" asks Fai.

_Fatigue? _Anna thinks for a moment before saying, "Net, ya vse v poryadke." _No. I'm all right. _She starts to wonder how far they've walked. From what she can tell, they've been walking for a long while. The scenery hasn't changed and they haven't passed any signs or anything that may signal people. Then again, what will they do if none of them can understand the people of this country? She shakes the thought from her mind. They'll deal with that when it comes. For now, she just needs to concentrate on moving forward. But her feet are really starting to bother her. She's never walked this much before. Her healing powers will heal any injury but they are still sore. All three of them are bare foot and she starts to wonder how Kurogane and Fai are doing.

She yawns again and stumbles. Kurogane grabs her arm, keeping her from falling over.

"Peut-être que nous devrions faire une pause," says Fai.

_Pause? _Anna thinks. She recognizes the word and she shakes her head. "YA v poryadke," she says, pulling her arm from Kurogane's grip. "Davaĭte dvigatʹsya dalʹshe." _I'm fine. Let's keep moving. _Anna starts to walk again but doesn't get far before Kurogane grabs her arm again. Before she can protest, he pulls her over to the side of the road and forces her to sit by a tree. Without complaint, he takes a seat next to her and Fai sits on the other side of her. She opens her mouth to say something but doesn't. She lets out a breath and leans back against the tree. Her feet are happy that she isn't standing on them anymore. She pulls her legs to her chest, to avoid looking at her feet.

Fai lets out a loud sigh and falls over to the side, laying his head on Anna's shoulder. "Je suis si fatigué!" he says. "Nous avons été à pied pour toujours!"

Anna makes a guess at what he said and smiles at him. He smiles back with his eyes closed. Not long passes before he falls asleep. Anna yawns again and looks up to Kurogane. He sits with his legs and arms crossed with his eyes closed. She's relieved that she wasn't the only one who was feeling the strain from walking for so long. She didn't want to be a burden to them. She smiles to herself and her eyes start to close. She falls to the side and her head falls against Kurogane's shoulder.

There is no dream. There is no nightmare. There's nothing but darkness. This is the kind of dream that Anna longs for. There's nothing and she's allowed to sleep properly, if only for a little while.

"Oi!" barks Kurogane, jumping to stand. Anna snaps awake and finds Fai also standing. She rubs the sleep from her eyes and stumbles to stand but Fai steps back and rests a hand on her shoulder, pushing her back down. She looks up at him, confused, and he just smiles down at her. Then he looks away, down the road. Anna looks to Kurogane who stands with his hand on his sword. He looks on edge, on guard. Anna tries to stand again and this time Fai doesn't stop her.

She follows their gaze to down the road. Several men, a couple of which ride on beasts, march towards them. They wear uniform clothing complete with blue and bronze armor. Taking a second look at the beasts, they resemble dragons in a way. They are tall with four thin, powerful legs. They have short horns in the center of their long heads and their ears are long and sweep back. Her train of thought is crashed as she hears the strange men yell and start running towards them. Fai steps to stand next to Anna and she readies her hand to defend if she has too.

"Hey!" one of them calls. "Soko ni! Anata wa nani o yatte iru!"

"Wareware wa ryokō-shada!" Kurogane yells back.

This takes both Anna and Fai by surprise but they have no time to react. The men run up to them and surround them. They shout something and Kurogane shouts back. It seems that Kurogane can speak the native language. Anna almost wants to sigh in relief but she's too tense to do such a thing.

The men relax and so does Kurogane. He steps up to one of the horsemen and they begin to talk. Fai looks to Anna and Anna looks to Fai, both confused. Anna shrugs and Fai smiles.

"Oi!" Kurogane yells, calling Anna and Fai's attention. He points to Anna and says her name and something else. He points to Fai and says his name and something else. Both Anna and Fai just smile and keep their mouths shut. Kurogane continues to speak with the man and the man talks back.

After awhile, Kurogane steps away and walks up to Anna and Fai. He says, "Wareware wa karera to issho ni iku tsumorida." He points to the three of them and then to the strangers. Anna's guess is that they'll be going with the strangers. She's not sure how good an idea that is but if Kurogane's fine with it then she's fine with it.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Here's this week's chapter! The next update will be in two weeks on March 22.<p>

Just so you know: Fai is speaking French, Kurogane is speaking Japanese, and Anna is speaking Russian (Rojustic). The translations are from Google Translate and might not be totally correct. I just thought that using translations would be a bit more interesting than just saying that they don't understand each other over and over. ;)

I hope you liked it. Please review/comment!


	79. Moon Castle II

Moon Castle II

_Letting out a loud sigh, Odile takes a seat on the edge of the bed, exhausted from supervising all the preparations. Humming draws her attention. She looks to the figure standing before a mirror by the open windows. Odette spins around in her white gown, looking over herself in the mirror. She pulls up the bustier and centers the crystal necklace on her neck. Leaning closer to the mirror, she fiddles with the clip in her hair and perks her lips to check her lipstick. _

_Odile smiles and says, "You look fine so stop fussing."_

_Odette turns to face her, cheeks puffed. "I know," she says. Returning to the mirror she fiddles with the hair clips again. _

_Odile stands then and heads over to her. "Hold still," she commands and Odette complies. Odile fixes the clip for her and tightens the corset. Her hair is up in ornate braids and held together by a gold clip with light green crystals. From the clip hangs a veil. The gown is a beautiful, pure white with lace and clear crystals. For Odette, it's a rather simple gown. It's tight and strapless with a corset back. The skirt portion is bustled in the back with a large bow that sweeps across the floor. There is no train. For some odd reason, Odette didn't want a train on her dress. She wears elbow high white gloves and white heels. _

"_Thanks, Lile," Odette says, smiling ear to ear. "I'm just so nervous!"_

_Odile lets out a chuckle and wraps her arms around Odette's shoulders. "That's to be expected. You're getting married after all."_

_She shakes her head and smiles widely. "Yes. Yes, I am." Odette faces her sister. "I'm so happy, Lile!" Odile pinches her cheeks. "Ow!"_

"_You should be happy. This is a happy day." Odile smiles. _

_Odette smiles back. "You're right! And what makes it so much better is that you'll be standing next to me!"_

_The comment saddens both of them. "I'm sure Mother and Father are watching. I'm sure they're very happy right now, seeing their little girl all grown up."_

"_Little girl? You're the younger one." Odette giggles half heartedly. "You're right but I… I'm sure they never left."_

_Odile nods. "Yes. I'm sure they never left." _

_There's a knock at the door then. "Enter," Odile calls. An attendant enters and says that it's time to head to the chapel. "All right." Odile reaches and pulls the veil over Odette's face. "Are you ready?"_

_Odette nods her head. "No."_

"_Ha. Come on." Odile takes Odette's hand and they head of the door. They walk down the halls, escorted by several female attendants. They head of the great hall, which has been converted into a chapel for the wedding. The real chapel was much too small for the guests Odette wanted as witnesses. Converting the great hall took three days. _

_They reach their destination and an attendant gives Odette a bouquet of white flowers. Odette lets out a deep breath and faces her sister. "Lile?" she says. _

"_Yes?" Odile faces her. _

_She opens her mouth to speak but halts. Reaching out, she readjusts Odile bustier and one of her sleeves. Odile's dress matches the light green crystals in the bride's hair. It can be considered strapless for the "straps" hang over her shoulders and offer no support. The dress is form fitting till it reaches her hips with corset lacing in the back, like the bride's dress. There is no bustling and the skirt sweeps down to the floor in a clean, crisp line. There is no lace or crystal but she wears elbow high gloves and heels to match the bride. _

_Satisfied with her work, Odette smiles with her eyes closed and a blush to her cheeks and says, "I love you, Lile."_

_This takes Odile off guard but she doesn't let her surprise show and she smiles. "I love you, too, Odette." _

_Music plays from within the great hall and Odette straightens herself. Odette puts out her elbow and Odette takes it. The doors open and the guests stand. With one last breath, the two sisters start their slow walk down the aisle. Odette smiles ear to ear from under her veil and Odile smiles as well but not as wide. She's happy for Odette, more than anyone could possibly imagine. Maybe she should be angry that some man is taking her beloved sister away from her but she's not. She likes Siegfried and believes he'll protect Odette and keep her happy. If anything, getting married will keep Odette in Rojus rather traveling the continent. Instead of being invited to foreign countries, she'll invite foreign monarchs to Rojus. So in the end, thanks to getting married, Odile will see more of her sister. The thought makes her happy. It's so lonely when Odette's not here, though she never shows it. _

_They walk up to the steps of the altar and Odile gives Odette's hand to Siegfried. He looks very dashing in his formal military uniform complete with a sword on his hip. He smiles with a blush to his cheeks. Odile can tell that he's nervous but in a good way. It makes her smile and she takes her place behind the bride to the right of the altar. The Priest begins the ceremony and the guests take their seats. She can't see Odette's face but she can see Siegfried's and he's so obviously joyful that she can imagine Odette's face. Right on cue, she hears Odette sniffle and Odile pulls a tissue from the top of her glove. And as if she could read her mind, Odette nonchalantly drops all hand at her side and Odile hands the tissue to her. _

_The Priest continues on with the ceremony when Odile's eyes drift in the audience. The great hall is filled with guests and decorated with white flowers and greenery. White and light green silks and ribbons hang from the ceiling and are tied around lights and the backs of the benches. Behind the altar, the large windows let in the light of the early afternoon sun, which brighten the room so much so that there is no need for candles or artificial lighting. _

_Music beings to play again as the Priest declares Odette and Siegfried queen and husband. Siegfried would be named king but he has no desire to be such a thing. And Odette no longer wishes to be queen. The two of them decided that it would be for the best to hand the crown over to Odile after the wedding, considering Odile does everything anyway. When they told Odile this, she only laughed but said that if it's something that they really want, then she'd accept. Odile never had any desire to be queen either. She was fine being crown princess with all the responsibilities of a king. It was decided that the week after their honeymoon, Odette would step down as queen and become a princess again and Odile would become the queen. This is a decision yet to be proposed to the Council, not that it matters. If it's what Odette wants, Odile won't take no for an answer. _

_The newly married couple share a kiss and turn to face their guests, who now stand, clapping and shouting in glee. Odette turns to Odile and smiles widely, tears of joy tracing down her cheeks. Odile smiles and Odette throws her arms around her shoulders, startling her. "Thank you so much, Lile!" she says. "None of this would've been possible without you!"_

_Odile smiles and nods her head. "You're very welcome," she says. "It was no problem at all." She pushes her sister from her and the girl returns to her husband with a smile. He puts out a hand for his wife and she takes it. They race down the aisle, Odette holding the skirt of her gown. Odette joins the clapping as the couple runs through the doors and disappear. With a sigh, she turns to face a maid, who runs up to her and whispers that all preparations for the reception are ready. "Good," she says. "Please assist with guiding the guests to the west garden." The maid nods and walks away._

_The guests are all escorted to the west garden for refreshments and light appetizers. The newly married couple are to greet the country at this moment. It was arranged for townspeople to gather in the front courtyard and for the couple to greet them from the balcony. Odile wasn't too fond of the idea but Odette insisted, since it was decided not to add the servants to the guest list like Odette wanted. The servants, instead, were free to watch the ceremony but must continue their work for the reception, dinner, and the after party. _

_Odile lets out another yawn. _

"_You look exhausted, my dear!" says a burly voice. _

_Odile smiles at her uncle, who approaches, arms open and a welcoming smile. "Who knew planning a wedding would be so much work," she replies. "Running a country is a breeze compared to this."_

_Nicolai lets out a laugh and puts out his elbow to his niece. "And you run this country beautifully!"_

_Odile bows her head and says, "Thank you." She takes her uncle's arm and they head down the aisle with the other guests. _

"_You know, Odile," says King Nicolai, "If you continue to work yourself like you do, you'll burn yourself out."_

"_It's a little late for that, I'm afraid."_

"_Oh, Odile."_

"_We've already been over this, uncle." A while back, he had walked in on her in her study as a moment of weakness. She can't even remember what triggered it but she remembers resting her head in her hands and tears dripping onto her paper work. He came barging in with news of a new trading contract with a foreign textile company that would benefit both Rojus and his kingdom. He stopped dead in his tracks at the sight of Odile. She half-heartedly complained about him not knocking before entering. He just smiled and walked to the desk and comforted her, though she repeatedly said that she was fine. He told her that she should lighten up and give some of the work to others. She refused, saying that no one can do it the way it needs to be done._

_He leaves it at that. There was no point in arguing with Odile. She's much too stubborn when it comes to things like her work load. _

_Odile asks a question. "How's little Luke, if you don't mind me asking?"_

_He laughs. "You can ask whatever you like about the boy! You're his aunt after all."_

"_Second cousin. Anyway. I'm sure he's upset her couldn't be here for the wedding."_

_Nicolai nods. "Oh, yes. Luke was very upset but when you have a fever that high and a cough that bad, you much stay home and get better!"_

_With a light chuckle, Odile agrees. _

_The two, arm in arm, walk with the other guests to the west garden. Both are greeted and congratulated and both smile and converse back. It isn't long until Odette and Siegfried formally enter the garden. The guests cheer and clap and the couple bow graciously and gracefully. _

_Then a blood curdling scream rips through the air and scene disappears in flames. A man's laugh echoes through the darkness and the air grows cold. _

Anna's eyes snap open and it takes all her strength not to scream out.

"Oi! Nani ga warui nodeshou ka?" he whispers loudly, gripping her shoulder. The terror must clearly be on her face. She covers her face and she forces herself to take deep breaths. He lets her be, waiting for her to calm herself, but he doesn't remove his hand from her shoulder. After a few long moments, she looks up at him. It takes another moment for her eyes to adjust to the darkness around her. When they finally do, she finds Kurogane lying next to her sitting himself up on his elbow. Did she wake him or was he already awake?

Kurogane wears a poker face but she can tell that he's upset, concerned. She tries to smile at him but fails. She can feel the tears sting her eyes and she tries her best to push them back.

Just now, that dream, the ceremony and short-lived reception, it was all just before Rothbart and company attacked. He marched in, full of pride in the new powers and army he obtained from some foreign magician. His men, all identical to one another, swarmed the garden and surrounded them. They wore black and their faces were covered. The only distinctive feature on them was a red and black crest on their shoulder. The crest looked something like a bat.

When it was demanded why Rothbart was he was there, he said, "To crash the party of course! I'm a little bitter about being rejected, but that's not the only reason I'm here." Then he pointed to Odile, who stood with a trembling Odette in her arms with Siegfried before them with his sword drawn. "My main reason is to kill that woman." He smirked and added, "You thought you were rid of me, huh? Well, think about, bitch!"

Before anything could be done, his men attacked. They slaughtered guest, guards and knights, and even the servants. It was a massacre. It was only thanks to Siegfried that Odile and Odette got out of the garden. Other knights and guards tried to assist but were cut down. The three of them didn't get too far, however, before Rothbart cornered them.

Anna lets out a sob then and hides her face in the pillow. Kurogane tries to say something but decides against it. Instead, he pulls her into him and wraps his arms around her, one being under her head like a pillow. The action startles Anna but she doesn't protest it. She welcomes it. She grips his nightshirt and borrows her face into his chest.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So here's this week's chapter! I hope it was worth the wait. Please reviewcomment.

You're gonna have to wait another two weeks for the next chapter I'm afraid. But I think you can handle it. ;) Next chapter: 4/5/12


	80. Moon Castle III

Moon Castle III

Anna wakes to the sound of movement and a yawn. She overhears Fai say something in his native language and Kurogane barks at him. Even after two weeks, the three of them still can barely understand each other but they seem to mange somehow.

Slowly and with a yawn, Anna pushes herself up from the futon.

"Bonsoir, Anna-chan!" exclaims Fai from her left.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Anna gives him a smile.

"Oi," goes Kurogane, calling for Anna's attention. She looks to him and he asks how she is, or that's what she thinks he asked. With a sleepy smile, she smiles at him. He frowns in return and brushes a hand against her cheek.

"Ya v poryadke," she says, moving herself to stand and stretch. _I'm fine. _Her gaze falls to the window behind her as she fixes the tie in her hair. The skyline bleeds as the sun begins to set. This country is called Yama, from what Anna can understand. It's a strange country in the sense that the one they are staying with is Lord Yasha, the same man from the statue of the Jinja. Anna can't really wrap her head around it and since they can't truly understand each other, she can't discuss it with Kurogane or Fai and get their take on the matter.

Anna's thoughts are cut off when Kurogane stands up. He looks at her and Anna's heart jumps. Without warning, he leans over and kisses her on the lips. Leaning away, he says, "Tokorode ohayou gozaimasu." He kisses her one more time before exiting the room. She's sure he just said "good evening" or something like that. Even though they all just woke up, it is the late evening so saying "good morning" wouldn't be correct.

Once the door is closed, Fai attempts to make a whistle noise. Anna blushes and adverts her eyes from his direction. Recently, Kurogane's been more open about their relationship, meaning the he kisses her more often and even in front of people. Anna's fine with it of course, delighted even, but it almost seems out a character for him. She can't but wonder if it's because there are so many men here and he wants them to know that she's off limits. The thought makes her smile. _He's possessive,_ she thinks. _It's kind of cute._

"Anna-chan," Fai says, getting closer to her. He smiles with his eyes closed and says, "Irons-nous?"

She smiles back with a nod. They both head for the door and in the direction Kurogane probably went.

As they walk, Anna notices the armored men that walk about, ready for tonight's battle. Compared to all the other worlds and countries they traveled to, this one has to be the most dangerous so far. Yes, other countries had their conflicts and violence but this country is much different. This is the first, and probably not the last, that is at war. Thinking back to when they first arrived, Anna recalls the soldiers and their dark clothes and blue and bronze armor. Now Kurogane and Fai are dressed similar to them and Anna wears dark sleeveless shirt dress with short pants complete with a belt of the same armor. Somehow, the three of them became members of Lord Yasha's army. They take part in battle in a place Anna calls "the Moon Castle." They can only enter the field when the moon first rises and until its zenith.

Anna doesn't fight as a soldier of course. She is a field medic. Everyone was amazed by her healing powers and she was more than filling to assist, though Kurogane protested. She's sure he'd prefer her to wait back at the castle and work from there, Fai probably feels the same way, but she couldn't do it. She can understand why Kurogane doesn't want her on the battle field, he is protective. She thinks back to when she was "killed" in Oto and the hurt that must have caused Kurogane. Shaking her head, she tosses the thought from her head. She'll be just fine. There's nothing for Kurogane, or Fai, to worry about. And both of them are strong fighters, the strong within the army from what she can gather. They will also be fine, and if they get injuried, she'll just heal them.

When one decides to learn healing magic, they must make several important vows. The primary one states that a Healer must never harm another human being. They are allowed to unheal wounds when appropriate but that is all. Another prohibits Healers from participating on the battle field. This is because a Healers main purpose is to heal the wounded. When on the battle field, a Healer may lose track of their loyal to whoever's army they belong and betray their commanding officer. In other words, in accordance with their vows, Healers may be forced to heal members of the opposing party. This is unacceptable and "unethical" so it is prohibited for Healers to work as field medics.

Anna works as a field medic for the Yasha clan. At the Moon Castle, the Yasha clan battles the Ashura clan. Ashura as is the god of the Yuka-ku back in the country before Yama. Anna is confused and tries not to think about it too much. As of to why the two sides are fighting, it is Anna's understanding that they are fighting for the rights to the Moon Castle or something along those lines.

Fai and Anna reach their destination and enter a large room with rows of tables. Soldiers and other medics sit and stand and chat and eat a meal. The tables are low and everyone sits on the floor on cushions. They all seem so peaceful considering that they will be going to war in a couple of hours.

"Hei!" calls a woman's voice. Following the voice, Anna spots Soma at a table in the middle of the room with Kurogane and another man. She leans on the table and waves them over. Anna waves back and she and Fai head over. Anna's starting to get used to lookalikes, though this is the first time they've seen the same person twice. However, this is not the strange part. What is strange is the man that sits to her right.

Anna and Fai reach the table and find plates of food waiting for them. Anna takes a seat next to Kurogane, across from Alexander. She was shocked when she first saw him but kept her mouth shut about it. She hasn't said anything to Kurogane or Fai about him, that she knows an Alexander from her country. It's not like they would really understand her anyway.

Alexander leans his elbows against the table and faces Soma and holds a conversation with her. Kurogane interjects and joins the overall conversation. Anna rarely talks outside the room she shares with Kurogane and Fai. Fai never talks outside of the room. Anna thinks he's decided to play the strong silent type. The thought makes Anna giggle out loud.

"Nani ga son'nani okashīdesu?" says Alexander, causing Anna to look at him. He looks just like the one in Rojus, only his hair is a bit longer but just a messy as she remembers. His hair is a dark chocolate brown and is long and shaggy. He wears it pulled back in a small ponytail though most of it still falls around his face and in his eyes. His eyes are black. This is one thing that all three of the travelers have noticed. Everyone's eyes are black, including their own.

Anna can only estimate what he is asking. She keeps her answer simple. "Nichego," she says, shaking her head. _Nothing._

He gives an annoyed look with one eye open and the other closed, a chopstick in his mouth. She recalls a time when she and the Rojustic Alexander were in a small country restaurant. He had tried speaking to an Odile that had nothing to say, and simply played with the food on her plate. He had given a small groan and leaned his head in his hand while leaning on the table. He looked at her with one eye open and a fork in his mouth with a frown.

With a sigh, Alexander sighs with a shrug and says something to himself.

Anna gives him a smile and takes a bite of her food. With a chuckle, he smiles back. Kurogane mumbles under his breath, drawing Anna's attention. He looks annoyed. Anna pokes him in the cheek, startling him. Pinching it, she pulls his cheek and he yelps. Fai giggles and Soma gives a distressed look. Alexander lets out a deep laugh and says something, which causes Kurogane to bark at him with a blush to his cheeks. Grabbing her wrist, she lets go. He gives her a look that makes heat run to her cheeks. Blinking twice, pushing the feeling away, she just tilts her head and gives him a smile. With a groan, Kurogane lets her go and mumbles something and continues to eat his meal.

It surprises her actually, just how much closer she feels to him, considering that she can't understand a word that comes out of his mouth.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Here's this weeks chapter. Next chapter: 420/12. Please review/comment.

Also, I'd like to reply to the comments by "hi." I believe I said in the author's note in the previous chapter that I was using Google Translate and that they would not be totally correct. I'm using the translations to make the story interesting and stick to the storyline (I'm not trying to teach anyone anything, I'm trying to entertain you readers).

To be honest, and please don't take this the wrong way, I really don't care if the translations are correct or if the attitude is right. I know that Japanese has different ways in talking but I do not speak Japanese and do not have the time to go and get the correct translations for Kurogane. Nor do I have the time to go back to rewrite everything based on comments. I appreciate it "hi," but I can't do it. I can barely crank out a chapter ever two weeks, I don't have the time to go back and rewrite an entire chapter so please just bare with it. The translations are only for like four more chapters after this one.

Anyway, with that out of my system, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. The next one will be in two weeks and will have a bit more fluff. ;)


	81. Moon Castle IV

Moon Castle IV

The man lets out a scream and Anna pulls the tourniquet tighter on his thigh. His comrade barks at Anna as he holds his buddy down and still. Anna doesn't reply and continues to wrap the man's leg in order to stop the bleeding. She presses her hands against the gash in his leg and the injured man lets out another yelp and starts to thrash around. Anna barks at the other man to keep his buddy still in the little Japanese she knows. The man barks back at her and she gives her and glare that shuts him up. Anna calls for assistance and another soldier runs to aid in keeping the injured still.

Once the gash is healed, Anna stands and wipes her forehead with the back of her arm. One of the soldiers thanks her but she doesn't reply and gives a weak nod. Some calls for her help and she follows the voice, stumbling a little. Her head is throbbing and her arms are tingling but she pushed through it and heads to another soldier with a gash in his shoulder and a stab wound in his torso.

Anna worked for several more hours, healing and stitching and binding and covering the dead.

Now she sits leaning against a wall in the back of the infirmary. She sits with her legs stretched out in front of her and her arms limp in her lap with her head leaned back. She's sure she looks like a mess, covered in blood and sweat with increasing shadow under her eyes. The room is quiet, silent with the occasional painful moan and the soft chatter of several nurses and a pair soldiers. All the other medics have left already; Anna's the only one left. She wonders what Kurogane and Fai are up to. Since neither of them have come looking for her, they're probably still with Lard Yasha. From Anna's understand, Kurogane and Fai have worked their way to the higher ranks.

She's grateful that neither of them are in the infirmary for two. She's glad that neither of them are injured and that they're not here to see her like this. She's never felt so weak. Her head throbs and her arms feel as if they'll fall off at any moment. Her hands tingling with the pain of pins and needles and the very tips of her fingers are on fire. It's a strange and painful feeling. She never thought that her powers had a limit but not she's sure that they do. She's never healed this many people in short a short amount of time before. Yes, she trained as a Healer in order to heal the wounded but as Crown Princess she had other duties to attend to rather than healing. In other words, she has little experience healing more than several knight who were injured during training. Her body isn't trained for this. Her body and mind can't take the stress of using her healing powers over and over and over. But she's not going to stop now. She can't. She doesn't want to admit that her powers have a limit.

She doesn't want to be useless.

The quiet casts a sense of heaviness over Anna. The screams and cries of the injured and worried seemed like white noise and she barely noticed it all before. But now the silence is deafening as the healed sleep and the dead rest. It weighs on her and with a sigh she pushes herself from the ground and stumbles a little. With a deep breath in and a breath out, Anna heads to the back room of the infirmary reserved for the medics. The room is large and open with a well in the center with a concrete base and a drain for dirty water. Around the room are sleeves and tables covered in medical supplies and such. Freestanding closets rest against one wall with clean sheets, blankets, clothes, and such inside. The room is in disarray with blood rags and bandages scattered around.

At the well with a rag in her hand, she pulls up a bucket of water. Dipping the rag and ringing it out, Anna begins to wash the dried blood from her arms and face. Once clean, she looks herself over to find blood all over her front. With a soft groan and a glance around the room, she pulls her top off over her head and throws is it onto a table with other blood strained clothes. She pulls out a clean shirt dress from the closet and pulls it on over her head. Her pants also have blood on them but she doesn't have the energy to bend over to take them off. Readjusting the tie in her hair, she leaves the infirmary. The nurses and soldiers wave her off and she gives them a weak smile.

She walks through the empty halls of the palace to her room. From time to time she'd pass a guard on night duty and they'd exchange a nod and a smile. Her pace is slow as she drags her feet. She's tired but doesn't want to sleep. She's hungry actually but doesn't have the energy to go and get something to eat.

A shiver runs up her spine then. She wraps her arms around herself and lets out a yawn. She rounds a corner and bumps into something. "Ah, izvinite," she says quietly. _Sorry. _

"Iya, watashi no warui," says the man she bumped into. "Anna-san!"

At her name, she looks up to find Alexander grinning. "Alexander," Anna says, a smile on her face. Considering the language spoken here in Yama, Anna thought it strange that someone with a name like one you'd find in Rojus would be here. However, how she says his name is different from everyone else. She says "Alexander" and everyone else says "Arekusandā." Either way, though, it is the same person on the most basic level.

Alexander gives her a confused look then puts his hand on his chin in thought. Anna tilts her head to her side and involuntarily lets a yawn. She covers a hand over her mouth to keep another from escaping.

Alexander lets out a chuckle and says, "Anata wa, ikutsu ka no suimin o shutoku suru hitsuyō ga arimasu."

It takes a moment to semi translate would he just said. She, Kurogane, and Fai have been in Yama for one month and two weeks now. She's not sure why she's counting, considering that it feels like it has been so much longer. She can speak very little Japanese and understands enough to get by. But sometimes people speak so fast that she just can't understand, like now.

Alexander waves his hand to tell her "never mind." He puts his hands together to the side of his head to form a pillow. "Nemuru," he says.

"Oh," Anna says. She smiles with a nod. Taking a slight step back, she bows her head and says, "Guddonaito." _Goodnight. _It's one or few words she can say probably.

He gives a toothy grin in return and says, "Guddonaito, Anna-san."

With another smile, Anna walks around him and continues on to her room. She wonders if Kurogane and or Fai are back at the room yet. When she gets there she finds the room empty. The room is small but big enough for the three of them. There are three futons on the floor with pillows and blankets neatly laid out. The back wall has screens that open to the outside like a large window.

Letting out a sigh, she steps farther into the room and opens the window. There is no glass or screen. A cool breeze fills the room. She looks herself over and decides that it'd be better not to sleep in blood stained pants. She sighs, irritated. She should've changed her pants back in the infirmary. The shirt dress she wears goes to her knees but has slits up the sides to her hip line. Regardless, Anna pulls off her pants and throws them in the corner of the room. Falling against the wall by the window, she slides to the floor and tucks her legs under herself. Closing her eyes, she lets the cool breeze from the window dance across her arms and face.

Not a day goes by that she wonders about the princess, Syaoran, and Mokona. For about the first two weeks or so, Kurogane went out to search the nearby towns for them or any information about them. Fai and Anna went along several times but since neither of them can speak Japanese they were more or less useless. It was decided that the two were better off staying at the palace though it didn't make a difference. Kurogane found nothing regarding their missing travel companions. Though it wasn't discussed clearly between the three of them, there's a mutual understanding that the three others are probably not in Yama. As soldiers, Kurogane and Fai are getting paid for their services. Anna is as well. There is also another mutual understand that once the three of them accumulate enough money to travel away from Yama, they will move on and search of the others.

The door opens then and Anna's eyes snap open. Kurogane steps into the room with a sake jug in his hand. "Nē," he says, closing the door behind him.

Anna smiles at him and returns the greeting. He walks across the room and takes a seat next to her, under the window. He crosses his legs and leans his left elbow on the windowsill, taking a drink from his jug. Anna straightens herself and turns to face him, leaning her shoulder on the wall. "Fai?" Anna asks.

"Mada to Yasha-o," he replies, looking straight at her.

She nods and goes silent. She's so tired but has no desire to crawl into bed and sleep. She wants to talk with Kurogane. She wants to hold a conversation with him like but in Oto. She glares at the ground with a sigh, beyond irritated.

"Nani?" he says.

"Nichego," she says. _Nothing. _

He groans and takes a drink from his jug. Anna thinks for a moment before acting. If she can't talk to him, she wants to at least be close to him. Nonchalantly, Anna closes the small gap between him and her. She crawls on her knees into his lap, pressing her back up against his chest and leaning her head back against his shoulder. He doesn't protest, which makes Anna smile.

"Anata wa nani o yatte iru to omoimasu ka?" he says, questioningly.

"Nichego," she says, letting herself relax into him. _Nothing. _

He mumbles something, annoyed but not really. He wraps his right arm around her waist and Anna rests her hands over his. The two look out the window together. Anna smiles to herself, truly content.

After a while, Kurogane shifts a little, turning his head to kiss her on the forehead. Anna looks up at him and finds him looking down at her. Her heart jumps and she blushes. Reaching her hand up, she brushes her fingers against his cheek. Kurogane leans down and kisses her, locking his lips with hers.

As the kiss intensifies, Anna turns to face him slightly, still seated in his lap. Without breaking the kiss, Kurogane sets down his sake jug and tucks his hand under her legs, moving her around. Now facing him head on, her legs tucked to one side of him, Anna wraps her arms around his neck and pulls herself up against him. She feels him smile against her and she can't help but smile back, leaning more into him. It's bee awhile since they've kissed like this.

With one arm around her waist, Kurogane's other hand is free to move about. Slowly his hand traces her bare thigh to her knee. Shivers run up Anna's spine and butterflies flutter in her stomach more than ever as his hand traces back up her thigh and around her bum. With her heart racing, Anna leans out of the kiss to look at him. His gaze causes her heart to jump into her throat and heat consumes her. Before she can speak, Kurogane leans back into the kiss with more urgency and strength.

The next thing Anna notices is the floor being pressed against her back, or rather her being laid back onto the floor with Kurogane supporting himself over her on his hands on knees. Anna's heart skips a beat and red floods her cheeks, her hands still around his neck. His stare sends a shiver up her spine. She can't describe the look there. It's like he is looking at her, really looking, but there's a feeling behind them that causes heat to rise all over. As her heart races even face, if that's even possible, she nearly begins to panic. "Kurogane," she chokes out softly.

What has she gotten herself into? Is she in love with Kurogane? Does he love her? She believes that she is and has a feeling that he might possibly return the feeling but what next? Back in Rojus, the next step would be marriage. Anything else isn't socially acceptable, not outside of marriage anyway. Since when did Anna care about what's acceptable or not? Does any of that really matter considering that she's not in Rojus anymore?

She can feel her hands shaking against his neck. Kurogane must have noticed because he moves his right hand to trace up her left arm to her hand. Holding her hand, he pulls it to his mouth, all the while not breaking eye contact with Anna. He kisses her knuckles and her breath catches in her throat.

"Daisuki desu," he says, his voice deep and soft but strong and confident.

Her mouth goes dry and her cheeks burn. What he just said, she's never heard it before. She doesn't know what he said. She can't understand him. She has no idea what he said and that pains her. She brushes her free hand against his cheek and shakes her head carefully, trying to let him know that she doesn't understand. "Ya," she says in a shaky whisper. _I…_

He opens his mouth to say something but decides against it. Instead, he leans down towards her. But before his lips can crush hers, the door slides open.

"Oups!" exclaims Fai, exhaustion and a giggle in his voice. "Ai-je interrompre quelque chose?"

"Anata wa ima made nokku o kiita koto ga arimasu?" Kurogane barks, pissed off. Embarrassed, Anna pulls her hands free and covers her face, turning into the wall, her heart racing. Kurogane groans angrily and sits up. Fai giggles and Anna chances a glance at him. He gives her a cat grin as he walks into the room, pulling the door closed behind him. He says something, waving his hand. Without a second look at either of them, Fai crawls into his futon and under the blanket.

After a moment, Anna sits up, nervous. Hesitantly, she turns to face Kurogane, who is watching her. "Mozhet bytʹ, my dolzhny idti spatʹ tozhe," she says softly. _Maybe we should go to sleep too._

There is a second before he replies. He sighs, running his hand through his hair. "Nemurinitsuku," he says, nodding towards the empty futons.

_Nemuru, _Anna thinks. She believes it mean "sleep." She smiles weakly and crawls into her futon in the middle of the other two. It's only after she gets comfortable under the blanket that Kurogane crawls into his own. They both lay on their sides, facing each other. With a blush, Anna reaches out a hand to him. He takes it and pulls it to his lips.

"Guddonaito, Anna," he whispers.

"Guddonaito, Kurogane," she replies.

She closes her eyes and tries to drift off to sleep but she can't help but think what happened just moments before. What would have happened if Fai hadn't walked in? A little part of her is glad that he did. She doesn't know what she's doing anymore.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So here it is FINALLY! I am so so sorry that it's taken me so long to update. I had finals. . But I'm done with school now so I should have more time to write, so that means that I should be able to get back on a regular updating schedule. :)<p>

I'm going to upload another chapter either tomorrow or Monday to make up for the week I missed so... yeah.

I hope you loyal readers enjoyed this chapter, I know I really enjoyed writing it. Please review/comment. I get a lot of notices of people adding my story to their favorites and alerts but what I'd really like are more reviews. So please review/comment. Constructive criticism is welcome and nice words really make me happy. ;)

Anyway, thank you for reading!


	82. Moon Castle V

Moon Castle V

The night air is cool against her face and arms. The path they travel is surrounded by a forest lit by the light of the moon. Anna sits on the back of a supply wagon, her legs hanging off the back. She leans against her legs, her head down and her eyes closed. Her head is throbbing.

Several other field medics sit in the wagon, one of which is next to her. They reach out their hand and touch her shoulder, startling her a little. They give her a worried look and she gives them a weak smile and a nod. They nod and remove their hand.

She is exhausted and her fellow medics have taken notice. She believes that one of them, if not several of them, brought this to Kurogane's attention. He's tried to get her to stay back, to take a break from healing, but Anna wasn't going to just sit around and do nothing. They had something like a conversation about this just before they left. It turned into some form of an argument. It didn't go very far, however, because of the language barrier between them. Nonetheless, there was a glaring match, which caused Kurogane to march off. Anna almost called after him, to apologize and try to let him know that she'll be fine, but she was called to the infirmary before she could.

This could be considered their first fight.

Anna's mind wonders to that night a couple weeks ago. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she brushes a finger along her lips. She frowns and covers her face with her palm. She wishes she could talk with him and communicate with him properly. Kurogane hasn't kissed her like that since then. He's kissed her, yes, but not like that and that time was a first.

She bites her lip and leans back, rubbing the back of her neck. She looks around at the soldiers and their dragon-like horses who march behind and around the wagon. The soldiers mounted and walking, carrying weapons and chatting. The medical wagon is in the back of the pack, while Lord Yasha is at the front. Kurogane and Fai are up there with him, mounted. They truly have worked their way of the ranks to be marching next to the lord. Anna knew Kurogane was a strong fighter but she didn't know Fai was such a combat veteran.

The wagon comes to a halt in a clearing and Anna jumps from the back along with the one who sat next to her. She brushes off her bum as another medic passes her a leather bag full of supplies. Taking it, she drapes it across herself and readjusts her hair band. _Time to get to work,_ she thinks.

The soldiers begin to cheer and pump their fists into the air. The sight makes Anna smile. She has always found the camaraderie between soldiers and knights so fascinating. She chances a glace around for Kurogane but the forest around them begins to disappear before she can locate him. The scenery is replaced by a lonely and empty place made up of dark stone. The Moon Castle is made completely of this dark, black stone and covered in jagged boulders and craters. The moon now seems as if it is only feet away and it light shines brightly, bathing the dark stone in silvery light.

The army of Lord Ashura appears. They are clad in bronze and white armor with painted flames of red and gold. They yell and charge and Lord Yasha's army charges back. And with that, the battle begins once again.

Anna stays cool and collected, scattering about along with the other medics.

The battle rags for some time. It's only been a couple of hours but it feels like so much longer. Anna is now hunched over a soldier with another medic. Standing, she wipes her blood stained hands on the skirt of her shirt. "Okonawa re," she says in Japanese, breathlessly. _Done. _The other medic nods and calls a soldier over to help them carry the wounded to the medical wagon. Anna turns and heads back into the fray. She ducks behind boulders in search of any wounded Yasha soldiers. She passed several injured Ashura soldiers but she ignores them. Her "loyalty" is to Lord Yasha.

The thought makes her chuckle darkly. How many of her Healer vows has she broken?

A man screams, catching Anna's attention. She follows the familiar sound and finds a Yasha soldier pushing his back against a boulder, gripping a deep gash in his side. Pain distorts his face as he lets out an angry groan. He drops his blood covered sword and Anna notices the several Ashura soldier corpses that lay at his feet.

"Alexander!" Anna calls, running to him, jumping over the bodies.

Relief washes over his face as he slides down to the ground. "Anna-san!" he exclaims, a smile on his face.

Falling to his side, Anna pulls a small cloth, still clean, from her bag. "Hold still," she orders, moving his hand in order to press the cloth to his wound. He has lost a lot of blood. The gash is much deeper than she thought and she doesn't have any more stitching thread. She already used the last of it and hasn't been back the wagon for more supplies. She can sit and heal him with her powers but it would take too long. On the field, she uses supplies to get by until the moon reaches its zenith, then she uses her powers back in the safety of Yama.

She glances around, apprehensive that an enemy might stumble on them at any moment. She has to bind the wound quickly and get him to the medical wagon. She moves his hand to hold the cloth over the wound. Digging in her supply bag, she pulls out the last of her bandages. She forces him to puts his arms up and he lets out a groan. "Can't you be a little gentler?" he moans with a dark chuckle. "I'm an injured man, remember?"

"You're a man, aren't you?" she retorts. "So suck it up."

The two of them freeze and look at each other, surprise clearly on their faces.

"What? You can understand me?" questions Alexander, getting too excited that he winces from his wound.

"Don't move," Anna orders, getting back to the task at hand. She begins to wrap the bandage around his middle, having to reach around him to do so.

He lets out a chuckle. "What would Kurogane-san say if he saw this?" he jokes.

"This is work," Anna says.

"How is this possible? How can I understand you now?"

Anna shakes her head. "I don't know." The only way is if the others are near, she guesses but doesn't say out loud. Could they be on the Moon Castle? Why would they be here? She shakes her, casting the thoughts away. She can't worry about that now. Now she has to tend to Alexander. He has lost way too much blood. "I need to get you to the medical wagon," she explains softly. He's going to need some serious stitches, but… With how much blood he's lost, and how fast he is losing it, he won't make it to the wagon. She looks around again. If she heals him here, they'll be at higher risk. But they'll be at risk on their way to the wagon. But he won't make it to the wagon. Looking up at Alexander, Anna finds him nodding off, eyes tightly closed, clearly in pain. His breathing is labored and she can feel his heart racing under her fingertips.

She pushes the bandage down to reveal the wound and she places her hands over it. Purple lightning dances over the gash. "Don't move," she orders.

This grabs Alexander's attention. "What are you doing?" he questions. "I thought—"

"I changed my mind."

He doesn't reply.

"Just keep your eyes open for the enemy while I heal you."

He nods and Anna continues her work. She winces as her fingers begin to burn and her hands begin to tingle.

After a few long moments, Anna pulls the bandaging back over the wound. "Okay," she says, wiping her arm over her face. Her vision gets hazy and she closes her eyes for a long blink.

"You okay?" Alexander asks, concern lacing his voice.

She nods. "I'm fine." She opens her eyes and stands. "Time to get you to the wagon."

"But you said—"

"I only stopped the bleeding for now. You won't be able to fight in this condition so I'm going to take you to the wagon."

"Says you. I'm a man, remember?" He smirks, slowly and painfully getting to his feet. He stumbles and Anna catches him. She pulls his arm around her shoulders and helps him walk, or limp.

"The moon is almost at its highest, there's no need for you to fight anymore, not tonight."

He gives in with a sigh. "All right."

They make their way to the wagon, avoiding the enemy as much as possible. They stop the rest in the shadow of a small cliff face. Alexander falls against the wall of stone, arm still around Anna, helping him stand. His breath is still labored and he is still in considerable pain.

Alexander lets out a chuckle then, startling Anna. "I can't believe it," he says. "I can finally talk to you and I don't have anything to say."

Anna smiles. "That's usually how it works," she jokes.

He sighs and lets out another chuckle. Anna can't help but let out chuckle as well. _The same on the most basic level,_ she thinks. She wonders what the Rojustic Alexander is doing now. After meeting Yuko, they both went their own ways. She went to another country and hid. He returned to King Nicolai, last time she checked anyway.

"Come on," Anna says, pushing herself and Alexander from the stone.

Not long passes, however, when the sound of a war cry comes from behind. A soldier of Ashura runs at them from behind, sword at the ready. Alexander pushes Anna over, out of the way as the blade fall between them, striking Alexander's arms, which was out stretched from pushing Anna.

"Alexander!" Anna cries from the ground.

With a groan, Alexander punches the soldier square in the jaw, causing the man to fall down next to Anna. With a yelp, Anna stumbles out of the way and turns to Alexander, who gives her a triumphant grin. Anna almost smiles back but an arrow flies over her head, cutting her relief short. The arrow embeds itself in Alexander's chest.

Alexander falls to the ground, his eyes wide. Anna lets out a scream. Turning the face where the arrow came, anger clearly on her face, she finds an Ashura soldier. He readies his bow to attack but Anna moves first. Violet lightning incases her hand and she swings her arm at the soldier, throwing an orb of purple energy. It hits the man in the chest, knocking him back with such force that it knocks him off the boulder and head first into the stone below. There's a thud and a cracking sound. The man is limp and unmoving.

Fully prepared to off the man Alexander took down, Anna turns to him only to find him inches from her, sword in hand. Before she can react, the man's blade is driven into her torso, through and through. Her breath catches in her throat and she's unable to scream as pain jumps throughout her middle.

However, before the man can remove his sword, Anna slaps her hand over his face, gripping tightly. The human skull is made up of 44 different parts of bone. Many of these parts fuse together as the human grows. In other words, these parts "heal" together. As a healer, Anna can unheal this. And she does. The man's eyes widen in horror as Anna's stare remains cold and even. Violet lightning dances around his head as blood drips from his eyes and nose and ears. His eyes roll into the back of his head and she releases him. The soldier collapses, dead.

Anna stumbles back and grips her wound, the sword still in her flesh. Blood pulses against her hand, warm and sticky. She turns quickly, sending her head spinning. "Alexander!" she yells, looking over to the fallen man. She attempts to move towards him but she freezes. Her vision blurs and she looks away, biting her lip. His chest isn't moving and he rests in a large pool of his own blood. Anna doesn't need to get close to know that he's already gone.

Tears stinging her eyes and a whimper escapes her. Salt water traces down her cheeks and her knees grow weak. She falls to the ground, her vision blurred.

"Dammit," she curses and she doubles over, gasping for breath. She coughs and iron hits the back of her throat. She spits blood to the ground and grips the blade. Pulling at it, she gasps as pain shoots from her entire body. She fails to pull it out and the act causes a gash in her palm as well as several smaller ones on her fingers.

Her breathing becomes labored as her chest tightens. Her body beings to tingle and go numb. She starts to panic. She's out of energy. She can't heal herself. Her body isn't healing like it usually does. Her powers really do have a limit, don't they? The thought angers her but there's nothing she can do now.

With her arms too weak to support her anymore, Anna falls to her side, catching one last glance at Alexander's corpse. "Alexander…" Anna chokes out. How did this happen? Why? Anna grits her teeth. This is a battle field, this is what happens. She knew this. She understood this and still she choose to enter the fray, against Kurogane's protests. Kurogane… She should've listened. She should've staid back. Maybe then Alexander wouldn't... She lets out a sob. This can't be happening.

She doesn't want to die.

The words land on her like a thousand knives and bricks.

She doesn't want to die. What's the point in that? With her afterlife taken from her, it's not like there is anyone waiting for her on the other side. Then again, she's not in Rojus so does that even matter? But that's not the only reason.

"Kurogane…" she chokes out, here vision all but gone. What about him? How hurt will he be if she's gone? And Fai? What about the princess and Syaoran and Mokona? What about her debt to Yuko? She can't die here. She just can't. She doesn't want to and that causes her to release a scream.

With another sob, she releases another one. "KUROGANE!" she screams. His name surprises her. She didn't expect to call his name but she calls it again before her world goes black.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So, I guess technically it's Tuesday... Sorry this chapter is a bit late but at least it's here, right?<p>

I know that there's a bit of a cliffhanger going on there with Anna and all so, because I'm not totally evil, I'll be uploading the next chapter on Friday, May 4. After that, however, we'll be back on our every two weeks schedule.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter though I know there wasn't any Kurogane or Fai in it.

Please review/comment. Who knows, maybe I might update faster if I get more reviews. ;)


	83. Moon Castle VI

Moon Castle VI

_Alexander falls against the railing with a loud sigh. He throws his head back and cracks his neck to the side. Odile bites back the urge to apologize. She's never felt so useless, out of place. She leans her elbows on the railing next to him. Looking over, she watches as the clear water rushes under the bridge they stand on. She dips her head down, pressing her forehead to her arms. Her head is pounding and the world is spinning. And there a gaping hole in her chest where her heart she be._

"_You okay?" Alexander asks, turning to face her. "Maybe we should find an inn so you can rest."_

"_No. I'm fine," she answers, not looking up. She's glad he finally dropped the formalities and formal talk. As far as she's concerned, she's not a royal anymore. _

"_You sure? You don't look so good."_

_Odile chuckles darkly and she turns to look up at him. "That's not something a man should say to a woman."_

_This takes him aback but he chuckles. It's a light sound, playful. "I guess not," he says, running a hand through his shaggy chocolate brown hair. He looks down at her and gives her a weak smile. "You look a lot better than before, that's for sure."_

"_It's all thanks to you, Alexander." A pause. "Thank you."_

_He smiles. "You're welcome, Prin—" Her glare cuts him short. He sighs and corrects himself. "You're very welcome, Odile."_

"_Good boy."_

_Alexander lets out a deep laugh. "And here I was thinking you were just another spoiled little royal. You're one helluva woman, you know that? I mean, yeah, you have faults but who doesn't?"_

"_I'm not sure if I should be insulted or not."_

"_I'm not insulting you. I'm just not good at complimenting women." He laughs nervously and Odile gives him a smile. He smiles back down at her. Odile's only spent a little over a month with this man but she feels as if they've been childhood friends. It is just the kind of person he seems to be. He has a friendly personality that gets along with anyone and everyone. While traveling, she's watched him get smiles out a grumpy ticket seller and an angry black market thug, and plenty of others. In addition, plenty of female store tellers and inn keepers have given him considerable discounts on clothes, food, and lodging. Odile believes that the proper word is "charismatic." Even she, a cold-hearted bitch, is under his spell. _

_Alexander turns around and leans forward on the bridge railing next to Odile. "So what now?" he asks. _

_Odile looks out at the river that pulses under them. It took some time but they found someone who could help them. Well, Alexander was the one to find them. Odile was only following. Anyway, he stumbled on a user of forbidden magic, though in this country such magic is not forbidden. They couldn't help but they knew someone who could. For a price of gold, which Alexander paid without consulting Odile, they summoned a witch through a mirror. The witch had long black hair with pale skin and red eyes. She was beautiful in Odile's opinion. Her name was Yuko, the Space Time Witch. She talked directly with Odile. _

_Odile didn't have to explain to the witch why she had been contacted. Yuko knew already. That should have surprised Odile but it didn't. Yuko told her that the bond between her soul and body was broken, something Odile already knew. What she didn't know was that once the bond in broken, it cannot be repaired. The only option was to seal her soul into her body, forming a tattoo of a black swan along her torso, from her belly button to her neck. The price was steep. The seal cost her her afterlife and her time, which will be paid at a later date. _

_In accordance with a promise to Odette, Odile didn't care about the price. Odette wanted her to live and find happiness, so she will. Or at least try too. Without Odette here, there isn't much of a reason to. Odile's broken promises before, so why not break that one as well? _

_Odile shakes her head, casting the memories from her mind. _

_Alexander lets out a sigh. He wasn't really expecting her to answer and isn't upset that she didn't. "His Majesty said_ 'You'll find someone who can help her.' _Those were his orders," he explains. "I'll be honest, at first, I really didn't wanna get involved. Having to get mixed up with forbidden magic and all." He shrugs. "But orders are orders."_

_Foreign magic is forbidden in both Rojus and the kingdom of King Nicolai as well as a dozen other countries that were once a part of the Empire of Rojus. Just to find the witch who called Yuko, they had to cross several small nations to get outside of Rojus's sphere of influence, where magicians were easier to find since they aren't in hiding. _

_Alexander looks to Odile then, who looks at him evenly, unfazed by his words. He smiles weakly. "You've been helped. I've completed my orders," he says slowly. _

"_Then you should return to your king," Odile says softly. _

"_And what will you do?"_

"_I can manage on my own."_

"_Oh, really?"_

"_I'm not totally useless."_

_He chuckles. "Sure. Whatever you say, Princess."_

Anna opens her eyes, slowly for they are sore and a little swollen. It takes a moment for her eyes to adjust to the world around her. The room is familiar and bathed in the soft light of a candle lantern. Then the memories wash over her and pain shoots through her middle. She lets out a whimper, closing her eyes to the pain.

"Anna!" Kurogane exclaims, sitting to the right of her. He leans over her, supporting himself with one arm while the other holds her bandaged hand. "Anata wa daijōbudesu?" he demands, alarmed.

"Kurogane," Anna chokes out, turning her head to get a better look at him. Concern is written all over his face, along with the same pained expression from when she was "killed" in Oto. She tries to tighten her grip on his hand but it's too injured and sore to do so. Pain radiates from the gash in her palm and scratches in her fingers she earned trying to pull the sword out. She frowns, remembering the events that lead to her being stabbed. "Alexander?" she questions quietly, regretting it as soon as she says his name.

Kurogane's black eyes narrow ever so slightly and he frowns. Slowly, he shakes his head.

Tears threaten to break from her eyes and a sob jumps out of her. She turns her head away from him, tears now streaming down the side of her head. She wants to cover her face, hide her tears from him but her arms won't move. She's cried so much in front of him already but now is different. Now she's crying for another man in front of him. That can't make Kurogane feel good, considering she and him got into a fight just before battle. But she can't help it.

"Mne ochenʹ zhal," she chokes out softly, her breath short. "Mne tak zhalʹ, Kurogane." _I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, Kurogane. _"Vy byli pravy. YA dolzhen byl slushatʹ_." You were right. I should have listened. _

"Anna," he says, tenderly, moving closer to her. He leans himself over her, setting down her hand in order to use it to brush the tears from her cheek.

The Alexander of Yama is dead. He died protecting her. What is wrong with her? Why do people die trying to protect a cold woman like her? Will Kurogane-No! She doesn't want to think about that. She can't think like that. She turns to look at Kurogane now. She's lost too many loved ones already. She can't lose him too. She just can't.

With a groan, she tries to push herself up.

"Oi!" Kurogane barks. He protests her moving but she won't have any of that. Giving in, he helps her instead, gripping both of her shoulders, preventing her from leaning too far forward. With her hands shaking, she feels her middle. It's then that she notices that she's not wearing a top. Her chest and middle are wrapped in bandages. She looks herself over to find a blood stain in the bandages where she was stabbed. _How can I still be alive?_ She questions then shakes the thought for her mind. She's alive. That's all that matters.

Reaching up, she sets her right hand on Kurogane's cheek. Her numb arm threatens to drop but Kurogane grabs her hand before that happens. Gripping it lightly, he holds her hand to his lip, kissing her bandages. Anna blushes slightly and smiles.

Kurogane lets out a rough sigh of relief. "Anata wa daijōbu yo, watashi wa ureshīdesu," he says quietly into her knuckles.

This takes Anna aback but only a little. She can't understand him, not completely anyway. But she's not upset about it. That must mean that Mokona and the others were at the Moon Castle. "Syaor—" Anna begins but she freeze in place. Her eyes go wide and her mouth gaps open. An image fills her vision and ringing fills her ears.

A man dressed in dark clothing stands with his head back in laughter. The glowing golden orb in his hand casts light over his silvery hair. He speaks through his dark, disturbing laughter, and the orb morphs. Thick leafless vines grow from the orb and stab into the young girl at the man's feet. The girl lets out a blood curdling scream as the vines dig into her many times over. A pool of red grows under her and swims through the cracks in the stone floor.

Tears spill over and down Anna's cheeks before she can move again. She lets out a gasp for air, having forgotten to breathe only moments before.

"Oi!" barks a concerned Kurogane. "Anna!"

She's silent as she looks up at him slowly. What the hell was that just now? That man and the girl. Anna knows them far too well. The man was Rothbart and the girl was Princess Sakura. But what was that vision? She doesn't understand. Why would Rothbart have the princess? That's not possible. The man is supposed to be dead. Anna's head throbs with these questions that she can't answer.

"Nē," Kurogane says calmly, cupping his free hand around her cheek, his fingers reaching to the back of her neck. He opens his mouth to speak but bites his tongue instead. Anna tries to give him a smile for the sake of telling him not to worry but she can't bring herself to. She's not okay and he knows it.

Kurogane moves his thumbs to brush away her tears. Closing her eyes, Anna relishes in his touch, the warmth of his hand and the roughness of his skin. As his face grows nearer, she can't help be blush a little. She welcomes the kiss that follows but he simply presses his lips to hers. The act is so gently that it's almost agonizingly so. Anna can tell that he's holding back and that makes her happy. She's not happy that he's holding back, she'd rather have him kiss her like he wants to. What makes her happy about it is that he wants to kiss her more. She feels relief wash over her. He must not be too angry about her crying over Alexander or her not listening to him in the first place if he still wants to kiss her like that.

He pulls away and brushes her cheek one more time before releasing both her face and hand. He pushes her back to lie down and Anna complies but winces at the movement. Once she's down, Kurogane pulls the blanket up to her shoulders. Anna can't help but think about how sweet he's being, though he'd probably never admit it. The thought makes her smile, which takes Kurogane aback.

"Nani?" he questions, frowning.

Anna shakes her head, fighting her smile.

He gives her an annoyed look but doesn't push it. With an irritated sigh, he leans back into a sitting position next to the futon. He crosses his legs and leans his elbows on his knees. Running a hand through his hair, he lets out another sigh, relieved, and his lips form a little smile.

"Kurogane," Anna says quietly, removing her arm from under the blanket. He looks to her to find her hand reaching for him. He takes it in his and Anna smiles, a blush to her cheeks. "Ya tebya lyublyu," she says. _I love you. _

It startles her that she said it, but she doesn't regret that she did, even if Kurogane can't understand her.

Kurogane looks at her, not totally sure what she said and that irritates him to no end.

There's a knock at the door then. Kurogane calls for them to come in and the door slides open. Fai stands in the opening with a smile on his face. He looks down at Anna, who is looking up at him. "Wifey-chan!" he exclaims. "Vous êtes éveillé!" Anna gives him a smile.

Closing the door behind him, Fai enters the room and takes a seat next to Anna, across from Kurogane. He smiles at her with his eyes open, a question behind them. Anna nods with a smile. He sighs in relief and stretches his arms into the air. "Bien," he says. "C'est un soulagement." He looks down at her again, dropping his arms. "Ce serait tout à fait la tragédie si tu devais mourir, Wifey-chan. Ne pensez-vous pas, Kurger Burger?" This last part was directed at Kurogane.

Kurogane narrows his eyes at Fai, who just smiles back with his eyes closed. Anna's not sure what Fai said, and she's pretty sure Kurogane doesn't really know either. This lack of communication is really starting to become extremely difficult to handle. But back on the Moon Castle, Anna could talk with Alexander, though they didn't speak much. The thought saddens her so she casts it away.

Fai speaks first. "Syaoran-kun, Sakura-chan, Mokona-chan," he says. "Au château de lune."

This draws Kurogane's attention and he nods. "To Ashura-o," he adds.

"Chto?" Anna questions. _What? _The others were with Lord Ashura? That can't be but how else could they be on the Moon Castle? They are not with Lord Yasha, or in the country of Yama. If they were, Anna would be able to understand Kurogane and Fai.

"Nous les avons vus," Fai says. Anna can only guess what he said.

There is a moment of silence as the three companions think. The silence is broken when Fai looks to Kurogane and gives him a look that says, "Time's up." Fai looks to Anna and gives her a smile. Anna smiles back but turns to head to look out the open window. The sun is almost set. The battle will begin soon. _Kurogane and Fai need to get going,_ she thinks. She doesn't really want either of them to leave but she knows that they have too. With a sigh, she faces Fai again and nods with a smile. Fai nods back and stands to leave. He faces Kurogane who gives him a grumble and a nod. With one last smile, Fai leaves, closing the door behind him.

"Kurogane," Anna says, looking to him. He looks at her and she smiles back. She says, "Idti." _Go. _

He nods like he understands and leans towards her. He kisses her on the lips with a little more passion this time. Anna smiles against him and he smiles back. Leaning away, he looks her in the eye. "Daisuki desu," he says, serious and confident.

Anna blushes and her heart flips. With one more kiss, he stands and heads to the door. Anna watches him all the while, concern in her gaze. She speaks before he opens the door. "Chūi shite kudasai," she says in the little Japanese she knows. _Be careful. _

Turning to face her, Kurogane gives her a smirk that tells her that there's nothing for her to worry about. With a reassuring smile, he says, "Watashi wa modotte kuru," before closing the door behind him.

Anna sighs with a smile, looking up at the wooden ceiling. _Daisuki desu,_ Anna thinks. Kurogane said it before, that time a while back, when Fai walked in before... Anna has a feeling she knows what it means. A big smile grows across her face along with a blush.

Then her smile fades. Now that he's gone, there's nothing to distract her from her thoughts, other than the pain in her torso but that just enforces her worries. Alexander is dead. She wonders what happened to his body. It was probably taken care of like the rest; buried in a marked grave without his name.

Then she wonders how she was found. Did Kurogane hear her scream? The thought disturbs her. She's nothing but a burden to him but she can't help it. She keeps telling herself to do everything she can so that she's not useless but she's still a burden to him.

She casts the thought away only to have them replaced by the vision she had earlier. Her eyes begin to sting but she manages to dam back the tears. "Chto, chert vozʹmi, chto?" she says softly. _What the hell was that?_

Then a different thought fills her mind.

She's sure she killed him. There's no way he could've survived those wounds. But is Rothbart really dead? The thought makes her skin crawl.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I just want it on the record that I'm not totally evil. I could have made you wait two whole weeks for the next update. The next chapter, however, will be in two weeks, on Friday May 18.<p>

I hope you liked this fluffy little chapter, though it's pretty long. I think how I portrayed concerned Kurogane is okay but I hope he didn't seem too out of character.

Please review/comment. I went through all my reviews the other day and was smiling ear to ear the whole time. You guys really know how to make a girl happy. So PLEASE review/comment!


	84. Moon Castle VII

Moon Castle VII

With her hands still a little shaky, Anna pulls the pants up to her waist. She ties a knot with the waist strings then bends to grab her top. A sharp pain runs through her middle but she pushes through it. Standing up straight, she looks herself over. She's come to the conclusion that she healed herself, or rather that her body healed its self. It was only the other day that she was stabbed. She's only rested for a single day. Her wound was severe and she shouldn't have bounced back so fast, let alone survived it. The thought sends shivers up her spine so she casts it away.

There is a light pain every now and then when she moves. But the point is that she can move, stand, walk. If she was just stitched up by normal medical attention, she would still be in bed and in pain. In addition, there is no scar. Healing tends to erase scars. This is why she thinks she healed herself. There is no other explanation she can think of.

Anna pulls the top over her head and down over her body. She looks over her hands, noting that her fingertips burn. She flexes her hands and lets out a deep sigh. Now that she thinks about it, her head hurts a little too, but that's to be expected considering that she was severely injured. She sighs again and fixes the tie in her hair.

Her breath catches and her mind goes black, only to be filled with a vision that causes her knees to grow weak and shaky. She lowers herself to the ground, griping her face, her eyes closed tight as her lungs refuse to take in air. A ringing fills her ears.

A young girl with black wavy hair takes the hand of a girl close to her own age. She casts her free hand in the air, an excited smile on her face. She then takes a bow with the other girl in a graceful and playful manner.

The vision leaves her just as fast as it came on. Anna takes a deep breath and steadies her breathing. _Another one? _She thinks. _What is happening to me? What are these visions?_

There's a knock on the door and Anna shakes the thoughts from her mind. Heading for the door, she slides it open to find Kurogane on the other side, one hand on his sword and the other ready to pound on the door again. He gives Anna a surprised look and she returns it with a smile. He mumbles something and nods for her to follow.

The language barrier is really starting to piss Anna off. One would think that after a couple months they'd have some grasp on each other's languages. Anna somewhat gets both Kurogane's and Fai's languages but not as much as she would like. There is no common ground between their languages whatsoever. All three use different characters and no one word is the same, or similar, between the three. However, if this all goes as it should, they should be able to communicate properly soon enough.

Anna tosses the thought from her mind and the two head down the hallway. The others were on the Moon Castle before and last night as well, when Anna staid in bed. It was confirmed when Kurogane crossed blades with Syaoran. When Anna heard that, she was greatly relieved. Not that Kurogane drew his blade on the boy but relieved that they finally found their missing companions.

As the two walk, they pass soldiers preparing for the night's battle on the Moon Castle. There is something different in the air. Lord Yasha seems a little different but Anna's not too sure how. She's seen him countless times from afar but she has only "spoken" with the man once, when they first entered Yama. That conversation was mainly between the Lord and Kurogane and led to the three travelers entering the army.

She can't wait to get out of this world. She can't wait to be able to talk with Kurogane again. She wants to know what "Daisuki desu" means exactly and tell him how she really feels. The thoughts make her blush and smile. Then she wonders if Kurogane has caught on to Rojustic. Of course he has. Anna's caught onto Japanese so why wouldn't Kurogane catch onto Rojustic to some extent?

Her train of thought is crashed when the two reach the stables. Kurogane leads the way to where Fai is. Fai stands with a dragon-like horse, feeding it some odd colored veggie. When he sees Anna and Kurogane, he smiles. Anna smiles back, walking up to him and the creature. She begins to pets its head, under its chin. The creature faces her and bumps its head nearer to her, wanting more. Anna chuckles and complies with its demand. The creature reminds her of her own horse back in Rojus. She wonders how it is doing. She has been away for so long.

A horn blows, signaling that it is almost time to go to war. It was agreed that Anna would go to the battle field with Fai and Kurogane. And that she would not leave either of them. Despite the language barrier, Kurogane had made that very clear.

"Oi," goes Kurogane, grabbing Anna's attention. He reaches a hand out to her and she takes it. He leads her to the side of the creature while Fai holds it steady. Putting one foot into the stirrup, Anna readies herself to mount the horse but she doesn't have enough strength in her arms to push herself up. Anna lets out a surprised yelp when Kurogane grabs her waist. Blushing with eyes wide, she looks up at him. He gives a smirk and she sticks her tongue out at him. He helps her up onto the creature.

"Arigatō," Anna says in Japanese with a smile and a light blush still on her cheeks. _Thank you. _

"Ne stoit blagodarnosti," Kurogane says, in the little Rojustic he knows. _Don't mention it. _

Anna gives him a nod of approval. She smiles and grabs the collar of Kurogane's shirt. Pulling him closer, she bends down and presses her lips to his. Hollers and whistles come from the other soldiers, causing Anna to jump, red all over her face. Kurogane shouts back and Fai lets out a laugh and an attempt at a whistle. Coming around the creature, Fai prepares to mount the dragon-like horse behind Anna.

The horn blows again, this time twice, and the soldiers begin to leave the stable. Fai wraps his arms around Anna's waist and leans his chin on her shoulder. Looking at him, Anna gives him a smile and he smiles back. Kurogane grumbles something as he grabs the reins and pulls the creature along.

The army, lead by Lord Yasha, enters the clearing like every night. Anna's never been at the front of the line, where most of the action is. She's not scared or anything like that however. She is calm, to her surprise. It's not like she was ever on the battle field in Rojus as the Crown Princess. Yama and the Moon Castle are firsts for her. She smirks to herself at the thought that she now has some war experience. Considering the Army General was one of Rothbart's victims, when Anna returns to being Odile and becomes Queen, she'll have to reestablish many posts within the court, including an Army General. Then again, she does things much better on her own, despite the stress it causes her.

She is knocked out of her thoughts by the rising moon. The forest around the army disappears and the Moon Castle forms around them. There is chatter among the soldiers and Anna notes that she can understand them. The others must be nearby.

Anna's attention is drawn to Kurogane's voice. "I warned you!" he says, a smirk in his voice. "I said that this time you better come prepared to end it!" Anna follows it to find Kurogane clashing swords with Syaoran. Anna opens her mouth to speak but Fai taps her shoulder before she can. Looking back at him, Fai shakes his head at her with a smile and his eyes open. Anna nods and turns back to the duel before her.

_What the hell are you doing, Kurogane? _She thinks, preferring not to know the answer.

Anna notes that Syaoran is dressed in same fiery clothing as the Ashura army. Anna's not surprised by this in the least. Syaoran is very resourceful and will do anything to reach his goal. This much, at least, she knows for sure about the boy.

"YOUR MAJESTY!" a man screams. Anna faces the noise to find Lord Ashura dismounting his creature of a horse. Lord Ashura is a very beautiful young man, or at least Anna thinks he's a man.

Tension fills the air as the Lord cuts down Yasha's soldiers with ease. Anna's breath catches her and throat but she forces herself to breath slowly and calmly. Kurogane jumps back away from Syaoran and nearer the horse Anna and Fai ride. All watch as Lord Ashura continues towards where Lord Yasha awaits on his dragon-horse.

Lord Ashura runs his sword through the chest of Lord Yasha. Lord Yasha embraces Lord Ashura like one would a lover. The embrace turns into a kiss and soon Lord Yasha begins to disappear. There is no sound as Lord Yasha body turns to mist, leaving empty clothes and his sword in the arms of Lord Ashura. A light appears and floats up toward Lord Ashura. Within the center of the light is the Princess's feather.

"It's Sakura's feather!" yells Syaoran. Lord Ashura calls the boy over and Syaoran complies. The two share words, or rather the lord speaks to the boy. Either way, Anna is unable to hear them. After a few long moments, Lord Ashura hands the feather over to Syaoran.

Lord Ashura stands long and proud. Taking his sword, he stabs it into the stone ground and declares that the Ashura clan claims the Moon Castle. "GRANT MY HEART'S GREATEST WISH!" he screams and the earth beneath him cracks with rays of light.

The castle begins to break apart and horse creature bucks under Anna. She yelps, stunned by the goings-on. Fai wraps an arm around her waist, keeping her in place. His other hand reaches for the reins but Kurogane beats him to it. Kurogane swings himself up onto the creature in front of Anna and Fai. He pulls the reins and takes control of the creature. He turns to creature to run from the epicenter of the crumbling castle.

"You all right?" he calls over his shoulder.

Anna's heart jumps and she fights back a smile. "Yes, I'm fine," she calls back.

"Well, aren't you two just adorable!" coos Fai.

"Oh, shut up!" barks Kurogane, a slight brush of red on his cheek.

"ASHURA-O!" a men screams as a part of the stone castle threatens to crush the Lord. Before it can, however, Syaoran jumps into action, cutting the stone out of the way, his blade covered in flames. Again the two share words Anna cannot hear.

Kurogane pulls the reins and creature jumps from one crumbling boulder to the next. Anna grips the back of Kurogane's shirt, an involuntary action but Kurogane doesn't seem to mind in the least.

Syaoran lets out a scream as Lord Ashura shoves him away. Syaoran begins to plummet. "Che," goes Kurogane, commanding the creature to go after the falling boy. In a swift movement, Kurogane grabs to collar of Syaoran's shirt. He pulls the boy alongside the horse as if he weighs nothing.

The Moon Castle begins to fade away as if the moon were at its zenith, which it is not. The dragon-horse lands in an opening in a forest not of Yama. The Moon Castle explodes then and vanishes.

It seems to Lord Ashura has chosen to fall with the castle. Anna doesn't totally understand what has happened, and she's not sure if she wants to know, but she has a vague idea.

Kurogane lands the horse in a forest clearing along with soldiers of Ashura, who weep for their fallen Lord. The forest around them isn't the country of Yama but rather wherever Ashura's country. Syaoran falls to the side of the creature, sadness laced in his gaze.

"I knew it!" says Kurogane, greatly irritated. "I'm going to have to start training you from scratch!"

Fai lets out a giggle and leans over the edge of the creature, getting a better look at the boy that leans over it in front. Anna follows him, giving Syaoran a smile, genuinely happy to see him.

"Kuro-poppo!" coos Fai. "You're so strict!"

Surprise and disbelief covers Syaoran's face. "Kurogane-san! Fai-san! Anna-san!" he exclaims. "Eh? But your eyes… Red and blue and silver!"

Fai explains that they seemed to have automatically turned black when they entered the country of the Yasha clan. "If Syaoran-kun fell into that country," he says, "Your eyes would have turned black as well."

Syaoran grips his head in confusion. Anna leans forward and pinches the boy's cheek. "Try not the think about it so hard," she tells him. "I don't think we get it either."

Fai leans over hand, his arms over her shoulders and his chin on her head. Anna notices Kurogane twitch. "Sorry, but we were the ones that fell in first," he says, a depressed smile on his face. "We arrived in this dimension a couple months before you did."

"It was that much of a time difference?" Syaoran barks in complete disbelief.

Fai goes on to explain. "Since Mokona wasn't there, Wifey-chan, Kuro-run, and I couldn't communicate. But Kuro-pii was somehow able to communicate with the Yasha clan."

"Their language was a lot like Japanese," Kurogane adds in a quiet, agitated mumble.

"So we left they talking to Kurgs," Fai adds, pointing to himself and Anna. "I played the strong silent type and Wifey-chan her was the cute foreign doctor type." Anna hold back a chuckle to the last part.

"But if you just said something while we were at the Moon Castle…" says Syaoran.

"Ah! As to that, Kuro-pu decided that if you knew who we really were, you would never be able to fight all-out. He's still your teacher, Syaoran-kun… No matter what he looks like."

"What's 'no matter what we looks like' supposed to mean?" barks Kurogane.

"Oh. That's why," whisper Syaoran. The boy steps back and gives a deep bow. "Thank you."

"For what?" demands Kurogane.

"You were still concerned with improving my sword skills and that's what all those fight were for, weren't they. Thank you very much!"

This takes Kurogane off guard but he recovers with a grumble under his breath.

Fai giggles. "Whee! Kuro-sama is blushing!"

This pisses Kurogane off as he pulls his sword from its seath and slashes at Fai, who jumps from the dragon-horse with a wide grin. Kurogane follows after, screaming, "WHO THE HELL IS BLUSH?"

From the corner of her eye, Anna notices Syaoran smile. "It's good to see you again, Syaoran," Anna says.

The boy looks up at her and smiles. "It's good to see you again, too, Anna-san!"

Anna smiles with her eyes closed and helps herself down from the creature. She stumbles a little but Syaoran grabs her shoulder to steady her.

"Are you all right, Anna-san?" he asks, clearly concerned.

Anna smiles and thank him. "Yes, I'm quite all right." Just as she opens her mouth to ask a pressing question a girl's voice calls the boy's name. Kurogane stops chasing Fai then.

Princess Sakura runs along a road to the clearing. She is dressed in a flowing rob like dress covered in the same flames as the soldiers. In her arms is Mokona, who appears to be sleeping. "Anna-san! Fai-san! Kurogane-san!" the girl exclaims.

Fai gives a wave. "Long time no see, Sakura-chan!" he calls.

Before the girl can get much close, the feather flies from Syaoran's collar and to the girl. To disappears into her chest and she falls back, asleep. Mokona flies from her arms and into Fai's hand. Syaoran catches her before she hits the ground.

"The princess has gotten her feather back," Anna says softly. Syaoran smiles grimly with a nod. _At a great cost,_ Anna adds in thought. She looks to the sky to where the Moon Castle once floated. There is nothing but open sky now.

Mokona floats from Fai's hand then and its wings open, readying to move to the next world.

"Finally on the move again, huh?" grumbles Kurogane, his arms crossed over his chest.

In open swift movement, Fai wraps his arms around all four of his travel companion and they all fall to the ground around the princess, tight in his grip.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" demands Kurogane.

"I'm just making sure we don't get separated again!" Fai answers. "Or are you just jealous that I'm holding Wifey-chan and you're not?"

Anna stifles a laugh.

"Not funny!" Kurogane barks.

Anna doesn't grace that with a response. Instead, she leans and places a kiss on his cheek, wrapping an arm around his.

As Mokona opens its mouth, a man calls out for them to wait. "I knew it!" he screams.  
>You people really were involved with the Yasha clan!"<p>

"No, you're mistaken," Syaoran answers evenly. "But even if we were, neither of your lords are here anymore." He faces the man head on. "If you find their remains, or even portions for their remains, please don't separate them. Bury them together."

And with that, the colors overtake them.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm so so sorry that this chapter is almost a week late. I forgot that I had a final project due for high school... I have a bad habit of procrastinating... Anyway. Here it finally is! Hope you enjoyed it!<p>

If you hadn't noticed, I shortened their time in Yama to a week or two over 2 months (this was for the sake of my sanity and yours as well).

Also, for those wondering about Rothbart, you'll just have to wait and see. ;)

I'm hoping to upload another chapter tomorrow to make up for the lateness of the this one but my next update day in the schedule is Friday June 1st. Again, I'm so sorry I tend to be late in updating but please don't give up on me!

Please review and comment!


	85. Shara VI

Shara V

The colors rip away from view and the travelers land in a pile of little flowers, or rather flower bushes. Anna bumps the back of her head on something. Looking up, she finds herself in the lap of an irritated Kurogane.

"You all right?" she asks, pulling a flower from his cheek.

He looks down at her and raises an eyebrow. He says, "I should be the one asking you that."

She smiles with her eyes closed then looks around. She's taken quite aback by what she sees. They landed in the front courtyard of the Jinja in the country of Shara. The place is covered in ribbons and flowers. Both men and woman are about enjoying themselves.

Anna pushes herself up from Kurogane. Trying to stand, she stumbles a little, her knees a bit weak. Before she can fall forward, Kurogane presses his hand against her middle, steadying her. Involuntarily, she grabbed his wrists. "Oi, careful!" he says, both concerned and irritated.

"Ah, sorry," she mumbles, blushing. His hand is large and takes up almost all of her middle. Tentatively, Anna takes his hand in both of hers. "I'm glad I can understand you again," she says quietly, looking into his eyes. She's also glad that his eyes are red again but she doesn't say this out loud.

Kurogane opens his mouth to speak but before he can say anything Mokona lands on his head. "The judges rate that a perfect landing!" the white creature sings.

"Don't ride on my head!" Kurogane grumbles angrily, grabbing the creature from his head. Mokona squeals as he pulls its cheeks.

Anna lets out a chuckle and a flower falls from her head and onto her nose. Removing it, she finds herself covered in flowers and she proceeds to pick them off her and out of her hair.

"We've returned here?" questions the princess.

"You're awake," Anna says, putting out a hand to the girl who still sits in the flowers.

She smiles up at her, taking her hand. "It's so good to see you again, Anna-san!"

Anna smiles, helping the girl to her feet. "Same to you." Anna notices all the flowers and petals stuck to Sakura's face and in her hair. The girl tries to brush them off herself but has trouble with it so Anna helps her. Anna notes the golden clip in the girl's hair. It is shaped like a flame and has red ribbon falling from it. Once all the flowers and petals are removed the girl thanks her with a wide smile. "Not a problem, Princess," Anna replies. "How are you feeling?" she asks as the girl rubs her eyes.

"All right. Especially now that I know you and the others are all right." The princess gives her a warm and happy smile.

Anna smiles back. She decides it may be best not to go in to detail about the events in Yama, chiefly her getting hurt. She can only imagine how that would hurt the princess. _She's such a sensitive girl_, Anna thinks.

"Oh! Do we have guests?" says a woman's voice. Several women along with young twin girls walk up to them.

"Where are you all from?" one asks. Her hair is full and curly and laced with pearls. There is a star on her left cheek.

Sakura and Syaoran share a confused and saddened look. "Uh… Both people from the Jinja and from Yuka-ku are…" says Syaoran, looking around. The men of the Jinja and the women of the Yuka-ku mingle as if they were the best of companions. Last Anna checked the two were on odds with each other to the point punches were being thrown.

One of the other women, her hair pulled back in a single curl, explains that the Yuka-ku is a building near here that is their home base. The women travel around throughout the year performing. Whenever they encounter a problem, the men of the Jinja always help them out.

A man from the Jinja, standing next to the woman with the curl, smiles proudly and points his thumb at himself. "Right! As long as it's something we can do, just call us and we'll answer!" he says.

Two of the other women clap their hands with smiles. "Yay! What a guy! And so manly too!" they cheer.

"Best of friends!" Mokona comments from Syaoran's shoulder.

"This is different from the country of Shara we visited before," questions Syaoran, griping his chin with his hand, thinking.

Fai leans in to get a better listen. "Have we fallen into a similar but different world?" Fai says, puzzled.

The crowd around the shrine begins to cheer and holler.

Then Anna's mind goes black, her breath catches in her throat. Ringing fills her ears, drowning out the sounds of celebration around her.

Water drips throughout a massive room that seems to be underground. Two boys stand, identical to one another. Both with short brown hair and lightly tanned skin. One with eyes of different colors; one brown and the other blue. The other is in black clothing with a red and black crest on the chest of the shirt. The crest resembles a bat.

The image fades and Anna takes in a deep breath, then coughs, taking too much air in at once. Bringing a hand to her mouth, she covers her breath, trying to even it out without disturbing those around her. Kurogane seems to notice something but doesn't react. Anna is grateful for this. She doesn't understand what that was just now. It was the same sensation as before back in Yama, with the vision of Rothbart and Princess Sakura. This is the second one, second "vision" as she's calling them now. Those two boys looked just like Syaoran.

Anna's more than confused. She truly does not understand what is going on. Such visions would be classified as Forbidden Magic, something she should not have. As far she knows anyway. Many things have been rewritten in the History of Rojus since the fall the one and only Rojustic Empire. The thought pisses Anna off so she casts it away. For now at least. These visions are not something she should ignore, even with how much she wants to. Especially the one regarding Sakura and Rothbart. However, she decides that it may be best to keep them to herself.

"You're in luck, travelers!" coos the women with the star on her face. "Today is a wedding day!" Turning to face where the crowd is looking, Anna finds a man and a young lady in white. Anna recognizes the man as Souseki-sama.

"Suzuran-san!" exclaims the princess, a slight blush and her hands over her mouth in surprise.

Kurogane raises his eyebrows. "Isn't that the kannushi of the Jinja?" questions Kurogane, somewhat annoyed.

The couple smile and wave at their guests. They share a glance, their love clear. The scene brings back the memory of Odette and Siegfried's wedding. Anna can't help but smile to herself, ignoring the terrible events that followed the ceremony.

"Ah! Look at the cute couple!" coos Fai, throwing on arm around Anna's shoulders and the other around Kurogane's. "They're almost as adorable as our own cute couple here!"

This takes both Syaoran and Sakura off guard. They face the three, astonishment and a blush on their faces. "Kuro-po and Wifey-chan are a cute couple!" sings Mokona from Syaoran's head. "Adorable couple!"

Anna feels the heat flood her cheeks. Kurogane gives Fai and Mokona a bark but doesn't really form any tangible words.

"Ooh! Perfect!" squeals the woman with the curl. "Today is a good day! It is also the founding day of our gods!" She turns and gestures her arm towards a small shrine housing two statues. One is that of Lord Yasha and the other of Lord Ashura. They sit closely, side by side. "Behold our guardian gods!"

The man from the Jinja goes on to explain that the two statues have been together since they were first made. The woman adds that all the ancient tales say that statues should never be separated. The country of Shara is at peace and the two gods keep it that way. The last part makes Anna sigh in relief. She notices a smile on Syaoran's face.

"Hey! Look in here!" says Mokona, jumping from Syaoran's shoulder and onto the offering table in front of the statues. The white creature points to a box with a pink flower hair clip and what looks like a braided wig of chestnut hair. This sight causes both the princess and Syaoran to jump. They both share a glance and mumble something to each other. Anna catches the words "these" and "wore."

The woman with the curl explains that the clip and wig are sacred objects. The man adds that they have been enshrined at the Jinja for generations.

"Huh?" the princess and Syaoran go at the same time.

"I'm sure there must be a reason for it," ponders the woman, putting a finger to her chin.

"Maybe the master has heard something but it's useless to ask him now," say the man with a chuckle. All turn to face the couple, who now ascend a staircase to a platform. "It's time for the bride and groom to crack the sake cask!" The man takes the woman's hand and they race off.

"It is sake for the celebration!" the woman calls over her shoulder. "Come and join us and we'll drink together!"

Once they and the other guests are out of ear shot, Fai asks, "Did you two wear these?" The princess and Syaoran nod their heads.

"The people of the Yuka-ku in Shara gave these to us," Sakura says.

"But we took them off when we changed clothes in Shura," adds Syaoran.

"Meaning that you left them in the country of Shura, correct?" Anna asks. The two children nod their heads. Anna and Fai ponder this but it is Syaoran who proposes an idea.

"Maybe Shura is the distant past of Shara," he says, not totally sure of himself.

"What's that supposed to mean?" questions Kurogane.

Syaoran begins. "We dropped into the country of Shara first. After that, what if we went to Shara's past, the country of Shura. And then after that, we returned to the country of Shara."

"It's the same place but we shifted from the present to the past then from the past to the present," Fai sums up.

"So it was nothing more than a time shift?" Anna questions, not quite wrapping her head around it.

"But why is everything about the country so different?" asks Sakura, just as confused as Anna.

"Mokona thought that the girls and the guys were really mad at each other," says Mokona from Kurogane's head. Kurogane looks as if he gave up on trying to figure everything out.

Then a thought visibly hits Syaoran. "You don't think-!" he says, shocked, thinking.

"We changed the future," Fai states.

"Huh?" goes Kurogane.

"In the country of Shara we first landed in," says the boy, "The statue of Ashura stood alone."

"So did the statue of Yasha," says Fai.

Anna strings it together. From the present to the past and back again. Syaoran said to put the statues together in the past and that reflected on the flow of events, altering the present. _They took his words to heart_, Anna thinks. In addition, by placing the two statues side by side, there is now no strange phenomenon, like earthquakes. Because such things did not occur, the people of the Yuka-ku and the Jinja didn't have a reason to fight with each other.

Finally getting the sense for what's going on, Kurogane says, "And it ended up like this," pointing to the party behind him.

The princess smiles widely. "That's great!" she says. "Everything is so happy now!"

"But…" says the boy.

"Syaoran-kun?"

He smiles to his princess. "No, it's nothing."

Syaoran seems troubled by all this, Anna notes. It's then that she notices that the band in hair has come loose. Reaching back, she pulls it out of her hair.

"Hey, white pork bun," Kurogane says, looking up to the white creature on his head. "Why didn't you just drop us in Shura in the first place? Or in the country of Yama where the Yasha clan was?"

Good question but before an answer can be had, Mokona opens its mouth wide. With a visible breeze, a light glows in the chests of the two stone lords. From the light, swords grow and fly into the creature's mouth. Fai giggles and the boy and girl don't know what to do with themselves. Anna slaps a hand over her mouth, hiding her smile and a chuckle.

"One of Mokona's 108 Secret Techniques!" Mokona coos. "Super vacuum! Let's just see Dyson match that!"

"There's nothing secret about that!" barks Kurogane.

"Mokona just sucked up an important part the god's statue," Syaoran says slowly, dumbfounded.

"Do you think it is okay?" asks Sakura.

"We're… not in trouble, are we?" Fai grins.

Just then, balls of flames of gold dance down and around them. Following the direction they float from, they find a lovely woman sitting on a ladder as if she were as light as the air its self, the flames dancing from her fan. The princess looks around in awe. Anna can't help my smile watching her. When this journey first began, the girl reminded her of a childhood friend. It took some time for her to admit that the childhood friend was her as a child, the young Odile. Then again, now that she thinks about, she finds more resemblance with young Odette. Maybe she was just in denial about that before. Either way, her travel companions have grown on her after all this time, especially Kurogane if it must be said. She blushes at the thought. She wants to tell him how she feels, now that they can understand each other. She just needs to wait for the perfect moment to do so. Odette would be extremely disappointed if she just came out and said it.

She wonders how Kurogane will react when she finally tells him that she loves him. She's not frightened by the possibility that he might reject her. It's a very small possibility and one she's not worried about. Anna doesn't want to put the words in his mouth but she has a strong feeling about his feelings for her. Anna's heart flips at the thought. She wishes she could share all this with Odette.

Anna brushes a lock of her red hair from her face along with the thought. Starting to pull her hair back, readying to replace the tie, Anna's foot sinks into the ground beneath her. The feeling is familiar and fear runs through her veins, her blood turning to ice. All seems to pass in slow motion as her leg sinks farther into the ground and the other kicks out. She starts to fall backwards, her arms reaching up. She catches a glimpse at her left hand. The gold ring sits on her finger, the silver bracelet is intact around her wrist, the hair tie in her palm. The sight of the bracelet increases her fears and confusion floods her mind.

The ground molds and reaches up towards her, wrapping around her legs and waist, pulling her in. Her wide eyes move and look towards Kurogane, who looks towards her, his eyes widening as well. He reaches for her, calling her name. His hand grabs her forearm and the strength of whatever it is that pulls her increases. She hears the others scramble and the princess screams her name. Soon colors swim across her vision. She feels Kurogane's hand slip from her arm, to her wrist, to her hand, to her fighter tips taking her hair band him.

The colors surround her, pulling her violently.

She finally releases a scream.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: If you haven't noticed... I like cliffhangers... a lot. But because I'm not an evil person the next chapter will be on Friday June 1st. That's like five days you'll have to wait instead of 2+ weeks. ;)<p>

Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review/comment!


	86. Rojus I

Rojus I

_Stone and glass comes crashing down from above. Yellow lightning dances over the rubble. Odette screams her husband's name, threatening to run to him. Odile wraps her arms around her waist, holding her back as several move stones and pieces of glass tumble down to join the others. Odette screams again and again as the rocks and thick pieces of glass settle in a pile. A hand reaches from the bottom of the ruin, red running along its length and pooling underneath it. As pale sunlight shines through the hole in the ceiling, the gold band on his finger glistens. _

_Odile bites back her own tears that threaten to fall from her eyes. Her grip loosens for only a moment and Odette seizes the opportunity. She pushes away from her sister and runs to the pile of stone. She drops to her knees with tears streaming down her cheeks. "SIEGFRIED!" Odette screams, her voice breaking. "Siegfried!" With her hands shaky and weak, she tries to move a boulder from the pile but fails and collapses against the stone, giving up. "NO! No! no, no, no! Siegfried!" _

_Odile is frozen in place at the sight. Siegfried charged when it would have been better to run. He had pushed Odette into Odile's hands and told them to run, that he'd hold off the attackers. The men in black with the red bat crests on their chests ran down the hall after them, on Rothbart's orders. Siegfried stood at the end of the hall, his claymore at the ready. Odette protested wildly but he assured her that he'd meet them later, when all was safe and taken care of. Odile looked away has the newly wedded couple shared a passionate kiss. "Now, go!" Siegfried said, pushing Odette to Odile. Odile took Odette's hand and pulled her down the hall. They reached an open sitting room with a stone ceiling with a glass dome in the center of it. The hall exploded behind them just as soon as the exited it. Odile only caught a glimpse as Siegfried flew out and into the back wall. An orb of yellow energy hit the ceiling above him simultaneously and the stone and glass came crashing down on him. _

_A cruel laugh echoes through the hall. Odette lets out a scream, distressed at the sound but she does not move. Odile moves quickly, however, hoisting the skirt of her dress up to do so. She runs to stand between Odette and the insect that walks towards them from the hallway. His silver hair falls around his shoulders and to his waist. With a smirk on his face, he shakes out his right hand as yellow lightning dances on the tips of his fingers. Odile's eyes narrow, even with the brown ones of Ivan von Rothbart. _

_At the sight of her glare, his smile falls and he drops his arms to his sides. "Even after all this," he says, gesturing around him, "You still look at me like that? I think it's about time you swallowed your pride, Odile!"_

_Odette reaches up to her sister's wrist, taking a light grip on her hand. "Lile," she chokes out. "We should run," she says softly, her voice hoarse. "Siegfried wanted us to run."_

_Odile looks down from the corner of her eyes. Her beloved elder sister is on her knees, trembling and looking extremely frail. She recalls the promise she made to herself before._ I'll be strong so you can be weak, okay? _She tightens her fists, now full of resolve. She gives her sister a weak smile. "It's all right," she says as kindly as she can, trying to hide any sign of weakness. "I'm sorry I allowed this to go on for so long."_

_Her words take Odette aback and she doesn't reply. She only looks away, pressing her forehead to the back to her younger sister's hand. "I'm the eldest but I'm always the one hiding behind you," she whispers more or less to herself. "You're so strong and I'm so weak."_

_Closing her eyes for more than a standard blink, Odile takes a deep breath. "Why are you here, Rothbart?" she says quietly yet her words are full of acid and anger. Not only did he just murder Siegfried and the guests but now she is forced to show the one side of her that she vowed never to show Odette. The side of her that only Rothbart brings out. _

"_I said th—" he starts but Odile cuts him off. _

"_I know what you said before but that doesn't answer my question. You said you came here to kill me and crash the wedding in the process. But that doesn't answer why." He narrows his eyes, gripping his fists closed tightly and they shake in anger. The sight causes Odile to smirk ever so slightly. "I banished you instead of executing you for assaulting Odette. You should be grateful, not here murdering everything that breathes."_

_He chuckles and his eyebrow twitches. "This is payback for your crimes against me," he says. "All those years you've tormented me with your words and that ice cold soul of yours. After you repeatedly mocked me for my feelings towards Odette! All the times you stumped on my pride like some bug under your feet!" His anger grows with each word. His face becomes distorted with rage. Yellow lightning dances around his fists. "You should've killed me when you had the chance! NOW YOU ARE THE ONE THAT WILL DIE, ODILE!"_

_Swinging his right arm, yellow lightning pulses towards Odile and Odette. Odile puts her arms forward, palms out. With lightning at her fingertips, a wall of violet, like glass, collides with the yellow. The force is too great and causes Odile to steps back, straining to keep her shield together. Odette yelps and holds tightly onto Odile's hand as wind races throughout the room from the collision of energy. Light weight rubble and glass swirls around the room, hitting the walls and reaching the high ceiling._

_As soon as the yellow lightning fades, the violet shield shatters. Odile is left panting, a drop of sweat racing from the side of her face. _

"_Lile!" Odette exclaim, confusion clear in her voice. "Are you all right? Sinc—"_

"_DAMMIT!" screams Rothbart. "Since when did you know Defensive Magic?"_

_Odile chuckles and gives no answer. She stares down the man that stands in front of her. He is seemingly unaffected by the massive amount of energy he just used. This causes alarm to well up inside her. She's spent. She may not be able to block another attack like that. _

_Rothbart lets out a frustrated scream and swings his left hand at the sister's. Without hesitation, Odile throws her arms out again and forms another shield. A cry escapes her as the yellow lightning pushes her back and her knees threaten to give in. _

"_Lile!" scream Odette. She places her hands on Odile's waist, trying to help keep her standing. _

_Odile grits her teeth as a crack appears in her violet glass. _

_Rothbart laughs, a loud and dark sound that echoes throughout the chaos. "This is the end, ODILE!" he shouts, a smiling in his voice. He throws his right hand next to his left. The attack doubles against Odile's almost faltering shield and she yelps as cracks snap around the glass. _

_The glass finally breaks. The violet shield shatters like a broken window would. _

"_LILE!" screams Odette. Quickly, she wraps her arms around Odile's waist and pulls herself up and around. She throws herself in front of her little sister as the yellow lightning hits the ground directly behind her and the pile of stone and glass beside her. The force of the blow throws the two in the opposite direction. Rothbart is also thrown back._

_All is blinded by the yellow lightning as its light fills the room. As the yellow fades, all grows still and quiet. _

_With a grumble, Odile slowly pushes herself from the ground. Debris falls off her shoulders and back with her movement. "Odette," she whispers. She using her hands to search the ground for her eyes are still reeling from the brightness of the lightning. She feels the fabric of a gown and soon the skin of an arm. "Odette? Are you okay?" She crawls nearer. Her fingers brush against something wet, warm, and sticky. It's too familiar. Panic knocks around in her mind. "Odette?"_

"_Lile?" Her voice is pained, Odile notes. _

"_Are you okay, Odette?" It takes a moment for Odile's eyes to finally return to normal. They widen in horror at the sight before her. Odette lays on her back, a large piece of glass protruding from her middle. The red of her blood stains the white of her wedding gown. Odile's mouth hangs open, breathless and unable to speak. _

_Her elder sister looks up at her, a weak smile on her face. "Good," she whispers. "You're unhurt…"_

"_You—" Odile bites her lip and moves quickly. Salt burns her eyes but she pushes the tears back. She places her hands around the wound, ready to heal it. "Don't worry I'll—"_

_Odette sets a hand over Odile's, causing the younger to freeze. "No…"_

"_What—"_

_Odette takes both of Odile's hands in hers, one for each. She grips them and laces their fingers. "You need to run before Ivan gets up," she says softly. _

"_What are you talking about? I can Heal you and we'll run together." _

_Odette shakes her head. "It'll be too late then. Please. Run."_

"_No!" Odile exclaims, no longer able to fight the tears back. For the first time in Goddess knows how long, tears trace down her cheeks in front of her sister. "I'm not leaving you!" She tries to pull her hands free but Odette will not let her. "Odette! Please! Let me save you!" Odette stays silent as tears of her own gently pour from her eyes. "We promised to always be together. You promised that you'd never leave me! Remember? You can't leave me!"_

_Odette lets out a light chuckle, then a cough. Blood trickles from the side of her mouth. "I'm glad you loved me so much, Lile," she says. "You've done so much for me."_

"_Don't speak! Shut up and let me Heal you!"_

"_Maybe you should shut up and listen." Odette smiles. "Father was right. You are the naughty one. Since when did you know Defensive magic? Such a thing is forbidden to a Healer."_

"_You are in no condition to scold me." Odile bites her lip, looking away. "I taught myself in order to protect you… What go that did."_

"_Lile…"_

"_I don't want to hear you say goodbye when I can save you!"_

"_Not even a Master Healer like yourself can heal a wound like this."_

"_Ye—"_

"_No."_

"_Odette!"_

"_You've done so much for me, Lile. This is me replaying the favor."_

"_Odette…"_

"_You gave me happiness, Lile. You've always protected me in more ways than one. You've sacrificed so many things for me." She chuckles with her eyes closed. "I'm so weak compared to you but this I can do at least. I can save you." _

_Odile shakes her head in protest as Odette lets go of her hands. Her eyes drift over the wound. Maybe before she could have but now she cannot. It's too late. There's no way she could heal such a wound, not in time to save her life. She can't do it. Especially since Odette doesn't want her to. _

_With shaky hands, Odette pulls the engagement ring from her finger. _

"_What are you doing?" questions Odile, her voice strained. _

_Odette hands the ring to her, her arm falling into Odile's lap. Odile takes her hand in hers along with the ring. Odette grips her sister's hand as much as she can. She kisses her knuckles and releases a sob. _

"_Thanks to you, I've felt true happiness," Odette says, her voice weaker than before. "That's what I want for you; true happiness."_

"_True happiness is with you."_

"_Don't say that. Promise me that you will keep living and find true happiness." Odette sobs with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. "Promise me that you'll find happiness and keep living. Please…"_

_Before Odile can reply, Odile's hand goes limp. Odile's breath catches and her grip loosens and Odette's hand slips from hers, along with the ring. The gold hits the marble floor with a ringing sound. Odile's eyes follow it as it rolls and falls next to Odette's sleeping face. Her eyes drift over Odette's form. She places a hand over the piece of glass in her middle and pulls it out in one graceful pull. There's no need to leave such a horrible thing in her. _

_She hears a rustling from behind her. A man chuckles in a sinister way. "Well, now," mocks Ivan. "That's just too bad."_

_With startling speed and little thought, Odile turns to face him. Her glare is full of rage and hate and Rothbart freezes in fear and shock. Odile stands and runs at him. Before he can react, she lets out a shriek and drives the glass into his lower abdomen. Forcing it into his flesh with all her might, they fall back. Pulling the shard free, she grips her free hand around his neck, causing him to gasp. She stabs the glass into his middle and he lets out a cry. She repeats the motion over and over and over again. The glass falls in and out of his flesh as Odile's fury takes over. _

"_I thought you loved her!" she shouts, tears pouring from her eyes, drops of blood hitting the pale skin of her face. "I thought I was the one you wanted dead! WHY DID SHE HAVE TO DIE? It should've been me! Are you really so incompetent that you couldn't even kill the right sister?"_

_He gurgles as blood fills his mouth and his eyes roll into the back of his head. Odile's hand freezes in the air before coming down once again. Blood drips from the blade of glass. Her hand quivers as her own blood trickles down from her palm. _

"_Why?" she chokes out. "Why did this have to happen?" The question hangs in the air for a moment before she forces herself to stand. The movement is ungraceful as she pushes herself up from Rothbart's body. She throws the glass to the side. It breaks into several pieces. _

_Her red and swollen eyes fall to the pile of stone where Siegfried lays. Then they slowly move to the corpse of her sister in the other corner of the room. She chances a final glare at an unmoving Ivan. "Che," she goes, walking away from him and towards her sister. _

_Bending over, she picks up the ring by her face. "Find happiness, you say…" Her knees give in and she falls next to Odette. "How am I supposed to find happiness now that you're gone…" She sobs, dropping her head into her left hand, for the right is injured. Violet lightning dances over the gash earned from gripping the broken piece of glass. "Why wouldn't you let me heal you… I don't want to be alone... You promised…"_

_Several long moments pass as her sobs continue. With each thought, with each passing moment as Odette's death sinks in, a hole grows within Odile's chest. With each sob and each though, her heart breaks. It is not long before the whole thing is in pieces, scattered about her inner frozen world. _

_There's a cough and it startles Odile. She turns to find Rothbart move ever so slightly, his chest rising and falling. She grits her teeth and stands, pushing the gold wedding band onto the middle finger of her left hand. _

"_You still alive, you bastard?" Odile questions, venom dripping from her words. "I guess I was wrong before. You're not a worm. You're a cockroach."_

_The man doesn't replay. Odile stops short and picks up a nice sized boulder from the pile that lay atop Siegfried. _

_With both her hands, she raises the stone up, fully prepared to smash it into Rothbart's skull. "I guess I'll just have to stomp on you all over again," Odile says. "Until there's nothing left." Before the stone can fall, there is a flash of yellow and electricity runs throughout Odile's body, her chest the epicenter. She stumbles back and sweats she heard something rip. She drops the stone in the process and the boulder falls to the side of the target's face. Odile doubles over, gripping her chest and gasping for air. _

_Her body falls over limp and a swan of black feathers stands over her, wings tall in the air._

_Rothbart lets out a laugh but is cut short by his blood filling his mouth. "A black swan," he chokes out. "How ironic."_

_The swan flies back into Odile's body and she gasps and pants for breath. _

"_I broke the bond that holds your soul to your body," he adds. "It can never be replaced. You will die, slowly and painfully; like you deserve!"_

_Odile chuckles darkly. "And who told you that? I'm not in any pain, not from this."_

_Rothbart tries for a comeback but chokes on his blood and begins to cough violently, blood spraying about. His arms and legs tense up as the pool of crimson underneath him grows in diameter. _

"_However, the same can't be said for you. With all that blood you're losing, you won't last much longer." She pushes her arms against the ground and tries to stand. She decides that it'll be better to let him drown in his own blood. "Now, you will die here. Slowly and painfully. Suffocate in your own blood. May your soul burn in hell."_

_With that, Odile stumbles to the hall from which she entered with Odette at her side only moments before. _

The colors rip away from Anna's vision along with the memory. She recalls what happened next. Losing her soul once or twice in the process, she stumbled back down the hallway where she would soon run into her Uncle Nicolai and the knight Alexander.

Anna's vision blurs as she watches her left hand, out stretched floating above her. The warmth of Kurogane's grip lingers on her skin as the silver bangle jingles. She doesn't understand what's going on. Yuko had said that the bracelet would break when her price had been paid. So why? Why is she in this swirl of colors while the bracelet is still intact?

As the colors disappear, a view of painted marble crosses her gaze. Female figures with feather wings dance about a hilly, almost heaven-like scene. She falls back, away from it, landing hard against a floor. She lets out a yelp as pain shoots through her. She grits her teeth and turns over on her side, gripping her middle where she had been stabbed before.

A man laughs. It's a cruel and sinister sound that makes Anna's skin crawl. She recognizes the sound and faces where it comes from. Shock crosses her features but only for a moment. The feeling is soon replaced by anger, rage, disgust.

The man throws his arms out in a host-like gesture. "Welcome, Crown Princess Odile Komarov!" he says, his lips curled in a grin. "Or should I call you the Runaway Princess instead?"

"Rothbart," she spits out, the word making her sick to her stomach. "Is that supposed to be an insult?" She glares up at the man before her as he looks down on her. She sits on the ground, her back sore, supporting her weight with one arm. He hasn't changed much since their last meeting. His hair is still long and silver in color but is now tied at the end and is draped over his left shoulder. His clothes are still dark in color though they are of a foreign design. The shirt is more like a coat and hangs to his ankles. The collar is that of a turtle neck. From the collar to his waist is a zipper. The coat is open past this and reveals that he is wearing pants that are tucked into boots.

He stands on an upper level that is only two steps higher from where Anna is. The back wall behind him is made entirely of fogged glass and the light of the sun shines through enough to lighten the whole room. The other three walls are made of marble and stucco. The room has no furniture. There are double doors to the left of Anna. The doors are open wide, a long corridor lined with doors and paintings on the other side.

It is now that Anna notices the orb in his hand. Within the golden sphere floats a slender white feather with a pink design along it that looks like a heart.

Anna narrows her eyes. "Where the hell did you get that?"

"Wouldn't you like to know," he laughs back. "Well, I'll tell you." He grins wickedly. "We have quite a lot to discuss actually." Moving his arm, he reaches the orb out between them. Anna's eyes widen as vines grow from it in a menacing manner. "I just hope you don't die in the process."

* * *

><p>Author's Note: June 1st like I promised. But I think I left another cliffhanger... My bad. I just didn't want the chapter to get super long, which it would have if I continued. Sorry. I'll try and update as fast as I can but I have my graduation along with my open house this upcoming week so I might not be able to update next week... So lets go with Monday June 11th to Friday June 15th... Somewhere in there I'll probably update.<p>

Sorry this chapter is so Anna-centric. The next probably will be too. There will mention of the Tsubasa gang though so it's not too bad... This is probably the last chapter with an extended flashback scene, just so you know.

Anyway, please review/comment/share you love and maybe I'll update faster. ;) Thank you for reading!


	87. Rojus II

Rojus II

Anna struggles against the vines, trying not to be caught by them, but they overwhelm her. She is pushed back against the wall as the vines wrap around her waist and shoulders tightly, keeping her arms at her sides. They're warm even through the cloth of her clothes. She gasps for breath and grits her teeth as they tighten even more. She curses as she is picked up off the ground and suspended in the air. She kicks her legs and pushes against the vines to no avail.

Rothbart laughs in amusement. "Try all you want," he mocks, "But you're not going anywhere I don't want you to."

Anna narrows her eyes in a glare that would cripple the proudest of men.

"On second thought," says Ivan. Two more golden vines grow from the orb. Anna kicks to drive them away but they grab her ankles. They wrap up her legs to the middle of her thighs. "It might be better if you just can't walk," he adds, a cruel grin on his face.

The vines squeeze, the force increasing steadily as if savoring every moment. Her hands become tight fist, her knuckles turning white. She grits her teeth, hard. She will not scream. She will not give him that pleasure.

Then she hears a crack. Then another. And another. She screams and tears burn her eyes. The pain radiates throughout her entire body as her breath catches in her chest. She pants for air, knuckles threatening to burst along with her legs.

Rothbart chuckles lightly as he retracts the vines from her legs. Anna releases a whimper as her legs dangle lifelessly. "I remember watching you dance," he says, his tone amused. "You were so graceful, elegant, lovely really. I've watched plenty of dance but you truly were the best." He shakes his head. "What a shame. You probably won't be able to dance like that again after this. Truly a shame. I wouldn't think about Healing your legs, though, if I were you. You do that and I'll just have to break them again."

"Screw you," she chokes out. Closing her eyes tightly, biting her lip, facing the ground under her, Anna assesses the damage. Both legs are broken in multiple places. Both her femurs are busted; one in two places and the other in three. Luckily her patella and ankles are unharmed but her tibia and fibula are not. The two bones in both her legs broke together in two spots. Her muscles and such are the only things holding them together, keeping them attached to her body. Her legs are useless.

Her body still has yet to fully recover from overuse in Yama. To her dismay, Anna heeds Rothbart and decides not to bother healing her legs. She's not sure what the bastard has planned for her but she may have worse injuries to heal later and it may be best not to waste her energy on her legs. She just needs to hold out until Kurogane gets here.

Her eyes snap open at the thought. Until Kurogane gets here? What if he never does? Who is to say that he's even on his way? She was pulled from one world to another. Is it even possible for them to get here? Mokona did chase after Seishiro back in Oto, or Edonis rather, but Fai said it was because the creature was similar to his eye. Whatever it was that Rothbart used was probably not from the witch.

Anna's eyes fall on the feather. "That feather," she says, her breathing heavy. "Where did you find that feather?"

The vines slam her into the wall behind her and down on the ground. Their grip tightens and holds her in place. Her legs are stretched out in front of her but she forces herself not to look at them. Her temples begin to throb as she tells her body not to heal her legs. The pain is almost unbearable but she doesn't want risk to Rothbart holding to his threat. She frowns at herself. She's shaking but if it is from the pain in her legs or out of fear, she isn't entirely sure. Either way, this shouldn't be happening. When she first fell at his feet and saw him standing there, she wasn't surprised or shocked in any way to see him. As much as she told herself that he was dead she had a strong feeling he was still alive. She never imagined that something like this would happen. What is she supposed to do? She feels so hopeless and pitiful, pathetic.

Rothbart steps to the edge of the top stair, ceasing Anna's train of thought. He kneels down, balancing his weight on the balls of his feet. He sets the feather down between his knees, keeping one finger on the orb in a playful manner. "We'll get to that," he says, looking directly at Anna. She tries to hold his stare but fails, turning to look to the ground next to her instead. Her hair falls into her face, hiding her. "I told you that we have quite a bit to discuss. I request your undivided attention, Your Highness."

"I'm listening," she says calmly and quietly, trying not to betray her feelings.

"You're probably wondering how I survived your attack from back then. Truth is, I know Healing magic."

Anna chuckles darkly. "Well, that explains it," she whispers to herself. "To think you were capable of healing injuries like that," she says, a little louder than a whisper, turning her head to look up at him with her hair still covering half her face. She flinches as a twinge runs through her left leg.

"It seems my body reacted before I could, while I was unconscious. While you were busy crying over Odette, I was able to regain consciousness." He grins. "Too bad you couldn't drop that stone on my head. You should've killed me when you had the chance."

Anna frowns but keeps her expression as indifferent as she can.

He chuckles to himself. "A Healer's vows really are pointless. They are nothing more than tools to control one's ability. For Goddess sake, Offensive and Defensive magic are so close in form and use that if you learn one, it's near impossible to not learn the other. And after you learn those two, one can learn healing just by observing another. It also works the other way around. I'm assuming that is how you learned Defensive magic."

Anna doesn't answer aloud but yes, that is how she learned. She was schooled in Healing but taught herself Defensive magic. Though she never taught herself Offensive magic, she has watched it enough to grasp the concept. However, she is not well practiced in it. In Yama when she attacked the archer who killed Alexander was her first time ever using Offensive magic. It was in the heat of the moment and she's not sure how well she could repeat it in her current state.

"I can't help but wonder why though," says Ivan. "Why would you break your vows and learn Defensive magic? You must think them pointless as well."

Anna's skin crawls and her eyebrow twitches. "I share no opinions with you," she says bitterly. "When are you going to tell me about the feather?"

"My, my. Aren't we impatient?" He sighs, looking down at the golden orb. "But that is where things get interesting. Very interesting indeed."

"Get on with it."

A vine whips from the orb and strikes the wall to the left of her head. Anna's eyes widen in shock and horror. The vine withdraws, leaving a crater behind.

"You're not really in a position to give orders," Rothbart spits.

"Evidently," Anna spits back, narrowing her eyes. He's right. She's not. She's in no position to defy him in any way. She decides that it would be best to hold her tongue and allow him to talk. As much as she hates the idea it is the only thing she can do. She can't fight back, she's decided. Talking back will only ware his tolerance and he may kill her. She can't die. She doesn't want to die. Not here. Not at his hand.

She leans her head back against the wall, her hair falling out of her face. She closes one eye to the pain coursing through her legs. She evens her breathing through her mouth and relaxes her body against the vines.

"Good girl," Ivan sighs. "After you exiled me and stripped me of my title and wealth, I had to pull favors to find a place to stay." He gestures around him. "I'd say I did pretty well for myself. We're a little ways outside of Rojus but the building is still in the typical style." Pause. "Moving on. Did you know that mirrors can be used as windows to worlds apart from this one?"

_It was through a mirror that I contacted Yuko_, she thinks. "Forbidden Magic I presume," she says quietly.

"Yes. It was through a mirror that I met him, an older gentleman. He didn't tell me his name or anything about himself but he told me that there are other worlds and that he was from one. I was fairly surprised, of course. The man told me some interesting things about this country that I'm sure will interest you greatly. Did you know that the history of Rojus was rewritten after the fall of the First and Only Rojustic Empire?"

Anna doesn't let her surprise show. She had her suspicions but how could some man know that? Then again, she understands almost nothing about Forbidden magic and those who use it. In her mind, almost anything is possible.

Anna recalls the national history she learned as a child. Several generations ago, the kingdom of Rojus expanded into an empire. Magic of all kinds was openly practiced and all seemed fairly at peace within the empire. However, seemly overnight, the empire fell to a force of magic. The empire collapsed and the capital fell to ruin. Upon rebuilding, magic was outlawed within the borders of Rojus, and thus labeled "Forbidden." This was done in efforts to prevent another catastrophe. All users of such magic were charged and forced to abandon their magic or leave the country. Over the course of time, as the fear for magic subsided, two types of magic grew within the kingdom; Healing and Combative, or Offensive and Defensive. A group of users under the king formed the Magic Assembly, who then set forth institutions to teach magic and laws to govern its use.

This is the history all children of Rojus are taught. This is the history all view as true. There is no one to contest it, seeing as several centuries have passed since the occurrence of the actual events and there are no living witnesses. Once something is set into stone, it is near impossible to erase or alter it.

As Crown Princess, Odile had access to all the history books within the Royal Library. One would easily pass over any mistakes or any inconsistencies but she did not. Little holes here and there stood out. There was very little detail on the fall of the Empire, or the regime before the country's expansion. All history books start at the Empire's Fall as it is claimed that all history books from before the Empire were destroyed in the collapse.

"Like all others," Rothbart says, "I believed the national history to be true, though one thing did bother me. No history book I read went into detail of the magic that destroyed the empire. 'A force of magic' they all say. Most regimes fall to uprisings or internal conflicts but Rojus fell to 'a force of magic.' The man told me what this force was." Taking the orb in both his hands, Rothbart smiles. "This little feather is very powerful."

Cogs begin to turn in Anna's mind. The feather is the force of magic. She would wonder how that would be possible, considering the fall of the empire was centuries ago. However, in Jade country, the Emerald Princess was given the feather 300 years before Princess Sakura lost them in the first place. The feather's a powerful force indeed. One that even surpasses time.

Then a thought hits her. Rothbart has a feather. Maybe it is possible for the others to find her. Even though he didn't receive a device from the Space-Time Witch, Mokona could follow the feather. But how long would that take? Is it even possible? They have landed in a world without a feather before. _Where are they? _she thinks. _Are they still in Shara or have they moved to a different world?_ Her thoughts startle her. She never imagined any of this was possible. As Crown Princess, she thought she could do anything and everything on her own for the sake of Odette's happiness. She refused to show weakness by seeking help but then she met the boy, the princess, the white creature, the smiling wizard, and the black ninja. She never wanted to be a burden to anyone, especially Odette and especially her travel companions. Now she prays for someone to rescue her. She's weak and always has been. Anna's breath catches in her throat as tears burn her eyes. The vines tighten around her and she grits her teeth.

Rothbart smirks and he stands, lifting the orb over his head. He looks at it admiringly. "I was told that this single feather fell from the sky in the dark of the night and somehow reacted with the crystals we use to power our towns and cities. A total blackout followed. Resistance groups rose to the occasion along with energy plant malfunctions and riots. The books say the empire collapsed overnight but it actually took a week or so. Still quick, I know, but not overnight."

"The feather was the catalyst," Anna concludes, her voice shaky.

"After all was said and done and the capital sat in ruins, someone decided to blame magic for what they couldn't explain."

"And what happened to the feather, after all was said and done?"

Rothbart shrugs, stepping down a step. He sits and leans the orb on his knee. "It got lost in all the chaos," he answers. His tone depicts some mistrust in those words.

"This is what some strange man told you?"

He nods. "Yes. It's quite a believable story, considering that the very feather is right here."

"Is that all the man told you?" Anna asks in a whisper, looking up at the painted ceiling. If Rothbart kills her, what will happen? She knows that her soul is bound to her body and she can't pass on to the afterlife but what does that mean exactly? How does that work? The thought disturbs her so she casts it away.

He shakes his head and his express grows solemn. "Though I'm sure there is more he knows and didn't share, he did share some disturbing information as well. What happened to all the people who used Forbidden magic before it was forbidden? The books say that the magicians were simply forced to abandon their magic or leave the country. But the deportation records and death certificates don't add up." He scoffs at his thoughts, anger on his face. "The truth is that the magicians were imprisoned and executed; men, women, and children alike. Anyone with any blood relation to magic was subject to death." He sighs loudly. "Then as the hysteria died down, they were treated as second class citizens. They were discriminated against to a great degree and many left the country to escape the cruelty. Others did their best to hide their power and get by in secret. It took a generation but now we have the country that we do today."

Anna says nothing. She sits quietly, taking it all in. So this is the reality of her seemingly peaceful country. She's not sure if she should trust what Rothbart is saying but it makes too much sense to just ignore. She hates to admit that he may be telling the truth.

She recalls what she told Syaoran in Jade country. Sometimes something would happen that could have a great negative effect on the future. So they'd alter the records of the event. Or maybe there was something of the past that contradicted the present rulers, so they'd cross it out or alter it in some way, to fit them best. "The wrongful persecution of magicians," she thinks aloud. The fall was caused by "a force of magic," something that could not be explained. Magicians became the scapegoat. _But why?_ Anna thinks. There must be a reason behind it. A strong reason. There's more to this story. Syaoran had said that written records and history books don't necessarily reflect what actually happened. Oh, how true.

Rothbart speaks, grabbing Anna's attention. "The Rothbart family is included among those who chose to hide within the country," he says. "That man told me that I have Forbidden magic running though my veins. He told me how to awaken my powers and use them properly but they are limited because of how watered down my bloodline is from the Empire's Fall. That's how I managed to break your soul's bond, though I meant kill you."

"This man told you how to find the feather as well?" Anna poses.

"Yes. But that was after you tried to kill me. You see, when he first came to me was after I was banished. At that time he told me the history of Rojus and my true power. He is also the one who equipped me with an army to attack the wedding. It still baffles me why but I don't want to question his generosity. After you stumbled off, after failing to kill me, my men found me and brought me back here, where I Healed properly. It was only a few months ago, however, that the man got in contact with me again. I had heard of the missing crown princess and wondered where the hell you could have run off to. I hoped and prayed that you were dead somewhere but regrettably, here you are. The man told me that you came in contact with a witch and were no longer in this world. That is when he told me where I could find the feather and how I could use it to bring you back. And that is what I have done."

"Why?" Anna questions. "What is you want, Rothbart?"

With no hesitation, he glides down the steps and stops at her feet, towering over her. Anna tilts her head down, moving her eyes to look up at him. He smirks and she grits her teeth. "My wish is to restore the Rojustic Empire with me as Emperor," he says simply. "It has always been my goal. I was in luck when the Council agreed with me."

"You as Emperor? Were they in agreement about that?"

"Yes, actually, they were. Why else would I pursue Her Majesty the Queen?"

Anger overwhelms Anna and she slashes out. "You bastard!" she screams. "You were planning to use her?" The vines hold her in place and tighten painfully, causing her to cough. Blood hits the back of her throat.

"Yes, I was, along with the Council. My, don't you have a sister complex."

"You power hungry worm!"

"If greed is my sin then pride is yours."

Anna bites her lip, hard. She remembers how Rothbart would blush whenever Odette said something kind to him. He would stutter and faulter in his steps when she was near. She remembers when she called him out on his feeling, telling him, "I'd marry you before I'd ever allow you to touch her. Odette is a beautiful swan and you are nothing more than a wild beast." When Rothbart asks what Odile was, she answered, "I am the pond that keeps you ashore and the swan content."

Anna spits blood at Rothbart's feet. "And you're going to use the feather to grant your wish?"

"Yes. With this feather, I will conquer this whole bloody continent, starting with Rojus. I have no claim to the throne so I will overpower it and make it mine by force. I believe an old philosopher once said that it is better to be feared than loved as long as you are not hated."

"You little man," Anna curses.

"That is why I brought you back. I may have never truly loved Odette but I truly hate you. I want you here to watch as I destroy everything you worked so hard to build and rebuild it better than you could have ever dreamed! I will sur—"

He is cut off as someone runs in through the double doors. "Sire!" they say, taking a knee at the thresholdS. From the corner of her eye, Anna looks at the soldier. He is the same as those who attacked the wedding. She notes the red bat crest on his shoulder.

"What is it?" barks Rothbart. "I'm in the middle of something."

"I'm sorry, my lord, but it's urgent."

"Get on with it then."

"Sir. There are intruders to the west. They are heading for the manor."

"WHAT?" barks Rothbart. "How many?"

"Four, sir."

Anna can't help but smile. Relief washes over her.

"Friends of yours I presume," Rothbart says bitterly.

Anna doesn't look up at him. "I believe so. I'm assuming that the stranger didn't tell you about my travel companions." She looks up at him, a smirk on her face.

He glares down at her. "He mentioned that you were traveling with others, yes. To think they would actually come after a wretch like you." With a groan, he faces the soldier. "Well, don't just sit there! Go make sure they don't—"

There's a boom and the manor shakes for a moment. It sounded like it came from the other side of the manor.

Once Rothbart composes himself he shouts for the soldier to go after the intruders. "How did they get through my defenses? They shouldn't have been able to get through my barrier!"

Anna doesn't want to think now. She wants to act. She wants them to find her. She wants to be rescued. She wants Kurogane to save her and take her away from here. But what if they find her and Rothbart is too strong for them? No. Kurogane is strong. She has faith in his strength.

Without any second thought, she releases a scream. "I'M HERE!" She screams again.. _Find me, _she thinks. _Please find me. _

"You bitch!" screams Rothbart. He swings out his hand that holds the orb. A vine grows with a sharp point at the end. Like a blade, it drives into her right shoulder. Her breath catches in her throat and her ears begin to ring.

Hands, scratched and dirty, unwrap a bloody bandage around a leg. The patient winces and she apologizes with a light smile. The boy with light brown hair says that he's all right and the red hair woman continues. In the leg is a through and through stab wound. Placing a hand over it, violet lightning dances over the gash.

Rothbart gnashes his teeth, livid. "If that's how you want to play," he barks coldly, "I'll give you something to scream about!" He takes a step back and the vines around Anna's body withdraw, leaving her numb on the ground against the wall. Before she can react, the vines whip at her once again.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So here's the next chapter. I finished it sooner than I thought I would so I decided to post it early. Sorry it's so Anna-centric but I just had to get all this out. I hope it's not confusing. This is like part one of two "Rojustic Revelations" so bear with me.<p>

The next chapter may be next Friday the 15th but I start work this upcoming week. And it won't be as Anna-centric as this one, seeing as Kurger Burger is on the way. ;)

Anyway. Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please, please, review/comment!


	88. Rojus III

Rojus III

She breathes heavily through her mouth as violet lightning dances all over her body. She lies in the middle of the floor, her face against the ground, head at Rothbart's feet. Her clothes are torn and stained with blood and her skin is a patch work of black and blue. She keeps her eyes closed tightly, holding back tears brought on by the pain and humiliation. The back wall crumbles from her being slammed into it repeatedly. Anna coughs and her breathing turns to wheezing as she Heals her bruised lungs and cracked ribs.

Rothbart stands a few yards back, up the steps towards the wall of windows. He shakes with anger but smiles with satisfaction, the golden orb in his hands. He curses and says, "You're pretty tough. How can you still be conscious after all that?"

Anna tries to chuckle but she winces at the pain brought on by the act. She readjusts her legs as the Healing continues there. She clenches her left hand into a fist, her knuckles sore. She bites her lip as she struggles to move the fingers on her right hand. Her right shoulder is badly damaged. Rothbart had stabbed a vine into her shoulder, straight through her scapula.

Rothbart chuckles cruelly. "But that doesn't matter," he mocks. "It just means we can have more fun!" Keeping the orb in his hand, he swings his arm. Vines whip out but freeze then retract as his is attention is drawn elsewhere.

Several pairs of footsteps race down the hall towards them, catching Anna's attention as well. Moving her head slightly, she opens one eye to look. Her vision is blurry but the colors are unmistakable. Two tall figures in black and blue; one with blonde hair and the other with black. With them are two shorter figures in cream and red; one with light brown hair and the other hair like milk chocolate. A smile tugs at her lips.

"Anna-san!" screams Princess Sakura and Syaoran.

"Wifey-chan!" shouts Mokona and Fai. "We're coming!" adds Mokona.

"Anna!" yells Kurogane.

Anna's heart throbs at the sound of his voice. _Kurogane, _she thinks. _About bloody time._

"Tsk. So they got passed my soldiers," Rothbart sneers, increasingly displeased.

The travelers race into the room. The princess falls to her knees to Anna's right and Fai kneels to her left with Mokona on his shoulder. The white creature comments sadly on how beat up she is. Kurogane and Syaoran stand between them and Rothbart, their swords at the ready.

"Anna!" Kurogane calls from over his shoulder. "Are you all right?"

Anna chuckles darkly, still unable to move. "That's a stupid question," she says softly. "Pay no mind," she says a little louder. "Watch Rothbart, not me."

"Rothbart?" questions Fai, turning to face the silver haired man. "That's him?"

"That's the Princess's feather!" exclaims Syaoran. "Where'd you get that?"

Rothbart laughs and points to Anna. "She asked the same question and looked how she turned out," he says.

"You bastard," Kurogane spits. The anger in his voice causes even Anna to flinch.

Rothbart pays no mind to him. "So these are the people you have been traveling with, huh, Odile? Or did they just call you 'Anna'?" He tilts his head to the side and ponders a thought. "If I recall correctly, that's the name of your favorite fiction author, is it not?" He lets out a laugh. "And you call me pathetic! Look how you ran from your home and country! You even went and changed your name!"

"That's enough!" barks Kurogane. He swings his sword, calling the name of his technique. A dragon of light flies towards Rothbart, who counters the attack. With both hands on the orb, he pushes it out in front of him. A wall of glass collides with Kurogane's attack for a moment but both soon disappear.

"He blocked Kurogane-san's attack?" shouts Syaoran, surprised.

Rothbart chuckles and Kurogane yells, running at him instead. He swings his sword at Rothbart. The orb glows brightly and blows Kurogane back. He hits the back wall high above where Anna lays. Golden vines wrap around him. He tries to fight but is overwhelmed.

"Kuropo!" screams Mokona.

"Kurogane-san!" shouts Syaoran. He turns to stand against Rothbart but vines overwhelm him as well. They push him back against the wall and more follow, taking the princess, Fai, and Mokona into their grip.

"No!" Anna screams, trying to move but the pain shoots through her. She manages to push herself over onto her left side, her right arm limp against the ground. From the corner of her eyes, she looks up above herself. The vines detach from the orb and morph around the other travelers to form a large bubble around them. They are suspended above Anna and pound on the golden glass to no avail. They scream but their words can't penetrate through the glass. Anna can't hear them.

"LET THEM GO!" she screams even louder, falling over onto her back. Pain runs up and down her spine and she closes her eyes against it. "Damn it all," she curses under her breath. How can this be happening? She kicks herself for hoping to be saved, for praying for Kurogane to save her. None of this would be happening if it were not for her. She never should've hoped or prayed. If she hadn't then maybe they never would've come and none of this would be happening.

The sound of footsteps catches her attention. She turns her head slightly to find men running down the hall. They are the soldiers with the bat crests. Rothbart notices as well.

"Good. I'll have them deal with you intruders," Rothbart says, waving his hand at his prisoners. Narrowing his eyes with a devilish grin, he looks down at Anna. "Then we can finish what we started, _Anna._"

Anna doesn't reply but closes her eyes. Kurogane's voice echoes through her head. He came for her. All of them came for her. And now they are in danger because of her. She recalls how, before traveling worlds, she thought she was better off alone. How true that has turned out to be. She wishes that all this never happened. But it did. All this has happened because of her. If only she had killed Rothbart before when she had the chance. If he were dead, they'd still be traveling. They'd be in some other world, whatever came after Shura. Anna would continue traveling in some form of peace with Kurogane, Fai, Syaoran, Sakura, and Mokona until her bracelet broke.

The footsteps grow louder as they grow nearer. Anna opens her eyes and turns her head to face the hall. She tries to lift her left arm but it feels as though it is made of lead. With her fingers extended, violet lightning dances across their tips and a ball of energy forms.

"What the hell are you doing?" barks Rothbart.

Before he can finish his sentence, the orb of purple flies and hits just inside the doorway. The ceiling of the hallway crumbles and the soldiers shriek. The rubble settles, blocking the doorway completely, and violet lightning dances over the stones but soon disappears.

Rothbart screams in frustration and Anna's arm drops to the floor. She winces, closing one eye against the pain, and lets out a chuckle. "Now there will be no more interruptions," she teases half heartedly. She refrains from looking at her travel companions.

"You bitch!" Rothbart screams. "You'll pay for that, Odile," he says through gritted teeth.

"Go for it. I couldn't care less at this point."

"Is that so? Hmmm. Well then. I'll just have to make you care." Moving the orb into his left hand, a vine slowly grows from it and swims towards Anna. It wraps around her right ankle. Anna releases an agonizing scream as it slowly lifts her from the ground, her semi-healed wounds protesting angrily. Anna grits her teeth against the pain as she hangs upside down, her arms and left leg dangling. Rothbart laughs loudly and swings his arm towards the wall opposite the blocked off doorway. The vine follows his movements, tossing Anna into the stone wall. She gasps at the impact, blood hitting the back of her throat. The vine retracts, leaving Anna on the ground, dust from the wall crumbling down on her. Violet lightning traces over every inch of her body as she struggles to breath.

Her ears begin to ring and a vision crosses the back of her eye lids. A man with golden hair sits on the ground, an eye patch over an eye. His expression is full of sorrow and pain as he grips the child in his arms. All that is seen of the child is long golden hair.

Rothbart lets out a tired sigh, supporting the orb against his right hip with a hand on his left. "Now," he breathes, looking at the captured travelers. "This is quite unexpected. To think you people would come after a person like Odile. Oh, wait. You called her 'Anna'." He laughs once. "Tell me, travelers. Who is this 'Anna' and how different is she from 'Odile'?" He looks over the travelers, one at a time, expecting an answer. When he gets nothing in reply, he shrugs. "I guess you cannot answer such questions if you don't know the rule 'Anna', huh? Then I'll tell you a little something about her, about Odile." He looks down at Odile then, who glares up at him through the hair that has fallen in her face. He grins wickedly and Odile looks away.

This shouldn't be happening but there isn't anything she can do. She's useless. Absolutely useless. _Weak, _she thinks. _I'm so weak. _

"First off," Rothbart begins. "Did you know that she's royalty?" He watches the travelers, their expressions. Kurogane glares, chancing glances at Odile. Syaoran is close to the princess, who looks down at Odile with concern all over her face. Fai's expression is cool, almost impossible to read, as he watches Rothbart as well as Odile. Mokona shakes on Syaoran's shoulder, scared. The boy tries to reassure him. Rothbart shrugs them off with a smile and continues to speak. "Crown Princess Odile Komarov of the Country of Rojus. That is her true name and title." He places a hand on his chest. "And I am Ivan von Rothbart, former member of the Rojustic Council."

Odile chuckles. "Damn right you're a former member," she says. She moves her head slightly, her hair falling from her vision. "And I'm the reason why, you bloody insect."

Rothbart sends her a glare and she only smiles back. "You haven't changed much if at all, you cold hearted cold." He faces the others. "Did you know that?" he questions. "Do you know how cold and heartless she can be? This woman has mocked me and stomped on me ever since the day we met! She'd kill me with her glares and stab me with her words. She'd hold her head high with pride and belittle me whenever the chance presented itself. But oh! When she was with Odette! When she was with her beloved elder sister you'd think she was an entirely different person! She'd smile kindly and laugh sweetly. She'd be oh so happy whenever she was with Odette and vice versa. Their sisterly love was so potent it filled the whole kingdom!" He laughs cruelly with a wide, toothy smile. "Then I killed her! I killed Odette! It wasn't part of the plan, of course, but a great bonus!" He faces Odile. "The face you made after she died in your arms! The pain and the rage! To think you could show such an expression! It was wonderful!"

Odile laughs. "What a sick little man you are! To take pleasure in another's pain makes you a beast! How can you call yourself a man?" she mocks, hoping to draw his attention away from her companions. Something about this scene is too familiar. "Syaoran is only a boy and he's twice the man you are. Hell! I'm three times the man you'll ever be!"

She can all but hear Kurogane barking at her to shut up and stop egging him on.

Rothbart's anger flares and he barks at her. "You are in no position whatsoever to mock me!" Vines grow from the orb and reach out for her. Odile recoils slightly but the vines seize her right arm. They wrap around its length and pull it violently behind her back. She screams as her shoulder cracks and dislocates. She hears muffled screams from her companions. She grits her teeth, trying to restrain her own. The vines tighten and she cries out as her humerus snaps along with her radius and ulna.

Rothbart chuckles, wiping sweat from his brow. "If I recall, that was also the first time I ever saw you cry," he says in an amused tone. "Your rage was pleasurable, yes, but your tears! To see your ice crack and shatter before my very eyes!" He faces her companions and the vines retract from Odile's arm. "I wonder if you'll weep for them like you did for Odette."

He eyes snap open and her breath catches in her throat. "Leave them out of this!" she screams, trying to push herself from the ground with her left arm. Her legs move slightly but pain shoots through her entire body. She manages to support herself on her left forearm, her right arm useless. "This is between you and I! It doesn't concern them!"

"This does concern them! The minute they came after you this became about them! How could you allow them into your heart when you rejected everyone except your darling sister? What happened to the cold hearted Odile I know and love?"

"You killed my sister, that's what happened!"

Her glare locks with his as the two catch their breath.

Rothbart speaks quietly, his words laced with anger. "I confess to you and that's all you have to say?"

"Your very existence makes me sick." Odile words dip with venom.

He sighs heavily, annoyed. "Fine. Be that way. I was going to offer you a chance for redemption; allowing you to rule by my side but I guess you refuse. In that case, you leave me no other choice." Facing Odile, he looks to the others from the corner of his eye, a smile tugging at his lips. "I will kill them one by one in front of you until you change your mind."

Odile's heart drops as his words sink in. "No," she chokes out. "Leave them alone, Ivan!" she screams.

"Ha! Your every word reaffirms my actions!" He reaches the orb out in front of him and a single vine swings towards the bubble her companions are caged in. The vine slides into the bubble like a drop of water hitting a still pool of water. Odile watches in horror as Syaoran wrestles the vine as it reaches for the princess.

"No. Stop." Odile's voice cracks.

The vine seizes the princess around her middle and pulls her from the bubble. The girl comes out kicking and screaming. Several more vines grow from the orb and wrap around both her legs and her left arm. The vine around her middle removes itself and captures her right wrist. Rothbart swings his arm down, bringing the princess along with the movement. The girl gasps as she is slammed against the stairs. Three more vines raise from the golden orb and dangle above the princess, their tips at a sharp point. Syaoran and the others pound on the glass bubble, yelling words Odile can't hear.

"Now!" laughs Rothbart, sick distortion in his face and voice. "Watch as I once again take everything away from you, Odile Komarov!"

The vines speed down and Odile screams and reacts before her body can protest. She orders her legs, moving herself forward towards the princess. A sheet of violet glass forms over her back as she falls over Sakura. Her breath catches in her throat as the vines breaks through her shield and dig themselves into her back.

The room goes silent for a moment.

Rothbart curses under his breath, flabbergasted.

Odile pants as violet lightning dances over her wounds where the vines remain embedded in her flesh. She pushes herself up ever so slightly, her left hand on Rothbart's left ankle. She closes an eye against the pain as lightning traces over her hand and his ankle. There's a cracking sound and Rothbart releases a scream. He stumbles back, his ankle breaking under his weight. He releases another cry and falls back. The feather flies from his hand and hits the ground with the sound of glass. As if rolls out of his reach, the vines in Odile's back fade away.

He broke his ankle in a riding accident. Rothbart had fallen off his horse while riding in the palace courtyard a few years before the massacre. Odile had watched from the deck of the central library. She had chuckled and turned away from the scene.

Rothbart withers in pain, gripping his ankle, as Odile slowly pushes herself from the princess with her left arm.

"Anna-san?" the girl questions with a shaky voice. "An—"

"Are you all right, Princess?" Odile says, cutting the girl short. She pushes herself above the girl enough to look down into her eyes. She smiles slightly, well aware of the blood that probably covers her face. "I hope you're not hurt too badly."

Clearly scared and concerned, tears lacing her eyes, the girl shakes her head. "But what about you, Anna-san? You're injured! Your arm!"

Odile chuckles darkly. She doesn't attempt to consol the girl. With a soft groan, she uses her left arm to push herself away from the girl. She struggles to use her legs to stand so Sakura assists her by gripping her shoulders and helping her to her feet. Odile's knees threaten to buckle but the princess holds her up.

"Thank you, Ms. Sakura," Odile says, smiling down at the girl.

"Anna-san…"

"It's 'Odile' actually," she says, sadness in her eyes. She looks away from the girl and makes a point not to look back at the others. She can hear the muffled sound of them yelling and their fists hitting the glass. Feeling more comfortable on her legs, though they still ache and threaten to re-break under her weight, she lightly pushes the princess to the side.

"Anna-san?" the girl questions.

Odile's eyes fall on the feather still locked in the golden orb. Wheels turn in her head. The color of Rothbart's magic is gold, just like the orb, just like the buddle that traps the others. As longs as his power encases the feather, they will remain trapped but as long as he no longer holds the feather, he has no power for all of it is around the feather. "Princess," she says, not looking at the girl. "Please step back. I will retrieve your feather and release the others."

The princess protests. "You can't!" she exclaims, wrapping her hands around Odile right wrist. Odile winces at her touch and swings her arm away, taking a step forward. Odile looks down at her from the corner eye. The look there causes the girl to gasp, shock on her face.

"This is not up for debate, Ms. Sakura," she says. The girl freezes, her eyes wide. Odile looks away. "Please retreat to the wall. This will be over soon." The girl hesitates but nods and follows Odile's instructions. "Good girl," Odile whispers. She groans as the wounds in her back close, stopping the bleed. She throws her head back with a twisted smile on her face. "Now, let's get down to business, Rothbart," she says.

"Stay away!" he screams. Rothbart stutters and stumbles to move back, away from Odile who moves up the stairs towards him. Stumbling towards the feather, he reaches his right hand for it.

"Not a chance," Odile whispers, purple lightning dances on her fingertips. A ball of violet glass appears and morphs into a long leafless vine, which flattens like a blade. She swings her arm and the vine whips at his arm, slicing through flesh and bone. His arm flies through the air and hits the floor with a few bounces after impact. Rothbart screams and grips the wound. He bleeds out as he has no Healing powers to stop it.

Odile hears the princess gasp behind her but ignores her. This is no time to care about what the others think. With shaky legs, Odile steps closer to him.

"YOU BITCH!" he screams louder than ever, falling on his back. "When the hell did you learn Offensive magic?" He opens his eyes and freezes at the sight of her standing over him. Before he can say anything more, Odile extends her arm and flicks her fingers downwards. The violet blade stabs into the kneecap of his right leg. He screams again and grits his teeth against another.

"While you were using it on me," she answers simply. "Just like how you learned Healing magic while watching me." Her voice and expression are indifferent, almost lifeless. Rothbart glares up at her, blood trickling from the cover of his mouth. "I want answers," she says. "Tell me of the man that told you the history of Rojus and Ms. Sakura's feather."

"I told you," he chokes out. "He told me nothing of himself. Not even his name."

"I'm aware of that. Tell me what he looked like. You must know that at least."

He chuckles. "And why would I tell you that?"

Odile steps on his left ankle and he cries out. "Because I can do this all day."

"You witch! And you call me a beast! You're a she-devil!"

She frowns. "Tell me what I want to know and this will end quickly."

He stares her down before asking, "And by 'end,' what do you mean exactly?"

"I kill you. That is how this will end, regardless of what you tell me or not tell me."

"Either way, I die?"

"Correct."

"Then I rather not tell you anything."

Odile crushes her foot down on his ankle again. He cries out and reaches his left arm out in an attempt to stop her. She flicks her wrist and slices his arm in two places. He screams, no longer able to use either of his arms. "I told you," Odile says. "I can do this all day. In the end you will die but it is up to you whether that is now or later."

"Screw you!" he screams, throwing his head back while gritting his teeth. "Fine! The stranger had black hair with white in it as well as hair on the sides of his face. He wore a glass over his right eye and had two chins. He wore a bat chest on the chest of his clothes, like the soldiers he gave me."

Odile grins then, removing her foot from his ankle. "Good boy. Now. Tell me where you found the feather." He hesitates and Odile presses her other foot down on his broken knee.

He screechs but answers her demand. "It was in the mountains to the east of the country of plains," he explains through pants. "It was all the way at the top of the tallest peak, where the weather is always at its worst."

"Thank you for your cooperation," Odile sighs, removing her feet from his knee. He flinches and Odile stifles a chuckle and a grin. "This is how it should be," she whispers. "And how it will always be. I stand over you. You may rise above me once or twice but I will always knock you back down to where you belong, you earth worm."

"You cruel woman," Rothbart spits back. "When this is over, I'll see you in hell."

Odile shakes her head, releasing a dark chuckle. "I robbed me of my afterlife. I'm afraid that I will not see you in hell. You should grateful of that." She glares down at him with a frown and he shrinks in his skin. She steps nearer to him. He protests but Odile stomps her foot down on what remains of his right arm. He screams as she stomps down on his left arm as well. "Ivan von Rothbart," she says, her voice indifferent and her words full of authority. Odile moves her left hand to her right ear, a violet orb at her fingertips.

Rothbart's eyes widen and he gulps. "No! Please! Show mercy!"

Rage flickers inside her and her indifferent mask is replaced with an angry one. "Mercy? You dare ask for mercy? After all you have done? I showed her mercy once before, after you assaulted my sister, and how did you repay me? You came back and killed her. I refuse to make that mistake yet again. There is no mercy for you. Not here. Not now. Not ever."

Rothbart is silent, letting the words sink in one at a time. After a moment, he sighs, defeated. "All right then," he says quietly, setting his head back against the floor. "At least I got to see that beautiful face of yours filled with anger one last time."

"You disgust me," Odile says, her face grave. "To my very core, I hate you, yet you are nothing but a bug under my boot." She frowns and furrows her brow. "How someone like you could get under my skin and infect me, I do not understand." Her frown turns to a light smile. "I can say, however, that I'll be extreme delighted when you're no longer of this world."

He chuckles and says, "I can't say the same. I'll miss these talks we have."

"I can't tell if you're joking or not." She shakes her head. "That doesn't matter." Pause. "Ivan von Rothbart," she says again. "I, Crown Princess Odile Komarov of the Country of Rojus, hereby sentence you to death for crimes committed against the crown. You are charged with treason and mass murder. Above all, you murdered Her Majesty the Queen Odette Komarov and her husband Sir Siegfried. In addition you stole the lives of over six hundred wedding guests, including members of Council and Court along with foreign ambassadors. Additionally, you are also charged with the attempt to murder Princess Sakura of the Country of Clow."

"You will not charge me for the crimes I've committed against you?"

"No. Your crimes against me were retaliation for the crimes I committed against you."

"Then I guess you could say we're even."

"Not even close." Her glare causes him to bite his tongue.

"I'm done talking," Odile says, readying her left hand.

"Wait! Don't I have a right to last words?"

Odile's eyebrow twitches with annoyance. "What could you possibly want to say that you haven't all ready?"

"I just have a question."

Odile is silent.

"Will the Runaway Princess be returning to her throne?"

"Yes."

He chuckles. "I wish I could be there to see you ascend. Oh! What a queen you'll make! How far that cold heart will take you! All the things you can accomplish. Ha! I pray that your pride will be your undoing."

"As your greed is yours? Enough talk. I'm only saying this because it's customary: May the Goddess show mercy on your soul." She swings her left arm down and out. The violet blade slices through his neck, through flesh and bone.

Odile drops her left arm to her side and looks over to the feather. The golden orb around it begins to crack and soon shatters all together. She hears the glass bubble behind her do the same. Grunts come from her companions as they fall to the ground and steady themselves. She does not look at them but looks back to Rothbart. A smile grows over her lips and a chuckle builds in her throat. His head is no longer attached to his shoulders. Ivan von Rothbart is finally dead.

* * *

><p>Author's note: And here it is! Last friday's chapter! Sorry it's a few days late. I didn't think it would be so hard to find time to sit and type with work only being four days a week. .<p>

I think the next update will be in two weeks, on Friday the 29th but you know how I am with updating. :/ I'll try my best to have it on that day but if not it should only be a couple days after. Sorry.

Anyway, I hope you reader liked this long chapter. It was going to be longer but I cut off some of it to add to the next chapter.

Please comment/review!


	89. Rojus IV

Rojus IV

Ivan von Rothbart is dead. The bane of her existence is gone. No amount of Healing can heal a beheading. Healing isn't that type of magic. Odile chuckles lightly and stumbles back, off of his arms. She throws her head back, looking up at the angels painted on the ceiling. Pride and anger are her sins. Heaven was never in her reach.

"Anna-san," Sakura says softly, her voice unsteady and concerned. Odile hears her take a step forward and Syaoran whisper after her.

Odile chances a quick glance at the girl before turning to face the feather. Her movements are slow and painstaking as she steps towards it. Her right arm hangs at her side, lifeless. Her legs ache with every step, the breaks in her bones screaming to be healed properly. Only inches from the feather, she looks over its slender body, a pink heart design along its length. Bending at her waist, she picks it up by the stem. As soon as she touches it, warmth washes over her but the feeling is soon replaced by her own coldness. Standing up straight, she looks it over once more. _So much power from such a fragile thing_, Odile thinks. _To think this came from the princess._ Again she wonders if any of this would've happened if it were not for this feather. She thinks about the history Rothbart told her.

"Wifey-chan?" says Mokona, drawing Odile's attention.

Odile takes a deep breath then lets it out in a sigh. She knew this was coming. Things got out of hand and now she has to answer for it. What do they think of her now? She doesn't want to know. She wants to run and hide and change her name like she did before. She doesn't want to be rejected, she's decided. But she can't run, not this time. Turning her head back slightly, her hair falls into her eyes. She faces her companions and smiles, knowing the emotion doesn't reach her eyes. She's tired and uncomfortable and scared.

"Yes, Mokona?" she says as kindly as she can manage.

It is now that she notes her appearance. Her clothes from Yama are all torn up. Her once long baggy pants are now in tatters, like shorts. The skirt of her shirt is gone and the remaining fabric over her middle stretches across her black and blue skin in ripped strips. The sleeve of her right arm is torn where her bones were broken. There is a hole, through and through, in the shoulder, where Rothbart stabbed her. Odile hadn't noticed that she lost her shoes and the armor belt somewhere along the line of Rothbart's torture.

The tail of the swan on her middle is visible. She notices that the black has faded, almost as if her skin were showing through.

The white creature says nothing, sad on Fai's shoulder. Its ears drop to its sides and it frowns. The sight causes Odile's heart to throb painfully but her smile doesn't fall.

With a light smile still on her face, she looks to Rothbart's body. "I'm very sorry that all of you had to witness that," she says slowly, her voice scratchy. "I allowed things to get too far out of hand. Again, I apologize." Her smile falls then and she bites her lip. She can't bring herself to look back at them. She doesn't want to see their expressions, especially Kurogane's, though he probably wears his poker-face. She had thought about what he might think about her true nature before, if he ever found out. She never thought he'd find out. She thought she could go on being "Anna," even after she returned to the throne. Yes, her name would be back to "Odile" but she would be more like "Anna." This is what she thought, believed even, but that's not how it turned out. Tears begin to sting her eyes so she closes them tightly. With the feather in hand, she brings her forearm to her face, hiding herself behind it and her hair. "I wish none of you had to see that," she whispers. "I shouldn't have…"

She's ashamed at her behavior.

Someone takes steps towards her. Moving her arm slightly and opening one eye, she finds Sakura standing only a foot away from her. The girl stands with her hands folded tightly together over her chest with sadness and worry in her eyes.

Odile drops her arm from her face and turns to face the princess directly. "Ms. Sakura?" she whispers, looking down at the girl.

The girl opens her mouth to speak but her eyes trace over Odile's injuries.

Odile breathes heavily, drawing the girl's attention to her face. She smiles with her eyes closed and holds the feather out to the Princess. "I believe this belongs to you, Princess," she says.

"But-Your injuries!"

"Those and this are two different things. I told you that I would retrieve your feather and I have. Now you must take it. It's better for it to be in the hands of its rightful owner than this world."

"Anna-san." Tentatively, her girl reaches a hand out to Odile's hand, not the feather.

Odile shakes her head, stopping the girl. She pushes the feather closer to the girl. "Please take it, Princess Sakura."

The girl looks down at the feather and ponders a thought. "If I take it now," she says, "I'll fall asleep." Sakura looks up at Odile, the look in her eyes startling her. "Will you be there when I wake up, Anna-san?"

Odile's mouth falls open a little in shock. She doesn't reply to the question. She doesn't understand the question. After seeing her do what she did, why would the princess want to be near her? She doesn't understand. Odile shakes the thoughts from her mind. The princess gasps, taking Odile's movement as an answer to her question, but before she can speak, Odile allows the feather to fly into the girl's chest. Sakura's eyes glaze over as the feather disappears into her chest. She falls forward. Odile catches her, her left arm wrapping around the girl's petite figure. Odile's legs give in to the extra weight, how little it may be, and her knees buckle. Odile falls to the ground with the princess in her arms.

"Princess!" exclaims Syaoran, running over to Odile and the girl.

"It's all right," Odile says. "She's only sleeping." She looks down at the girl's face. She looks calm but her previous emotions still show through. She recalls something Mokona had said in Oto. "It'd be nice if the warm feeling that Sakura always has spreads out to everybody else a little bit more," or something like that, it said.

"Yeah," the boy says, a little tense. "Right."

It takes a moment but Odile looks up at him. The boy looks down at her, concern in his gaze.

"Are you all right, Anna-san?" the boy asks.

Before Odile can answer however, Fai speaks. "I think we should stop asking her that question," he coos, walking over to them. Kurogane follows after but Odile still can't look at him. "It's obvious that she isn't okay, don't you think?"

"Ah, yeah, you're right. I'm sorry," Syaoran says. "But…"

"But Wifey-chan does have quite a bit of explaining do," Fai says, finishing the boy's thought. He walks up to stand next to Syaoran. Kurogane, on the other hand, kneels down next to Odile to her left. She tenses at his closeness. He doesn't touch her or say anything. She can feel him staring at her but she still refrains from looking at him.

"An explanation," she whispers, her gaze looking towards Rothbart. His body lays limp on the ground, a pool of red under him. There's nowhere to run, not that she could run even though she wants to. She can't hide or change the subject. She can't ignore what is happening around her. She can't smile and tell them not to worry. Then again, they are her travel companions, her friends. She's never really had friends but she remembers something Odette said. She had said something about friends always accepting you; if they didn't then they were not truly your friends. Hope arises inside of her for only a moment. If Syaoran's opinion of her had changed, wouldn't he have taken the princess from her? Her hopefully thoughts are outweighed by her pessimistic ones. _There is no way they could accept someone like me,_ she thinks. _I'm just as much a beast as Rothbart. _The thought sickens her but she finds it to be true.

With a sigh, preparing herself for whatever is to come, she looks up at Fai. "What would you like to know?" she says, dreading his answer.

With his blue eyes open, he gives her a half smile. "Everything would nice," he says.

"But you don't have to tell us anything you don't want to!" adds Syaoran in a rushed tone.

Odile looks up to the boy, a little taken aback, but she smiles at him. "I also think everything would be nice," she says softly. Her words are slow and thoughtful. "All of you deserve a rightful explanation but I'm afraid, in this story, I may be just as much a villain as Rothbart."

"Wifey-chan isn't a villain!" complains Mokona.

Odile chuckles, taking the others by surprise. "You say that but you really don't know me at all. I've lied to all of you about who I am."

"About what? Your name?" coos Fai. He waves his hands in a gesture telling her not to worry. "I figured that out back in Jade Country!"

"I had my suspicions but I figured that if you wanted us to know you would've said something," says Syaoran, trying to reassure her.

Odile chuckles again. This doesn't surprise her. She knew in the back of her mind that they probably figured out some things. Kurogane did. It is now that Odile brings herself to look at him. Her drained eyes meet his piercing red ones. They look right through her but he's not judging her. Relief washes over her for a moment. He's not angry, but concerned. He's as uncomfortable as she is, not sure what to do with himself.

"Everyone's got a past," Kurogane says, his voice deep yet quiet, directed solely at her.

"You give me too much credit," she says. "You must understand that everything Rothbart said was true. I believe his favorite terms for me were 'cold' and 'heartless' but I would also add 'cruel' and 'prideful' as well. I'm quite the 'cold-hearted bitch' as he so unpleasantly put it. It was after Odette was killed that the ice shattered and it was after traveling with all of you that the cold warmed, even just a little." She sighs, her smile gone. "But, in the end, I am still the same person Rothbart described."

"Wifey-chan…" says Mokona, sad.

"I cannot deny it." She looks to the ground and frowns. "I hated Rothbart; to my very core I hated him. Everything about him disgusted me and set me on edge. The feeling was mutual for he also hated me just as much. He was the thorn in my side and I made his life a living hell. He did his best to oppose my abuse but there was very little he could do without putting his title in jeopardy."

"That's right," says Fai. "You're royalty, are you not?"

Odile nods her head. "I was Crown Princess, next in line after the Queen, my sister. However, she left all matters of state in my care. I handled everything that Odette could not, and that was most of everything beside public appearances and foreign affair trips.""

"In other words, you were like the queen," says Syaoran. Odile nods again.

"You loved her very much, your sister, yes?" asks Fai.

"Correct. After our parents passed, she was all I had. She was everything to me and Rothbart took her away." She frowns, closing her eyes tightly.

"And why would he do something like that?"

Odile sighs and opens her eyes, still looking at the ground. "You see, he was in love with her, or so he said. When he heard that she was to marry Siegfried, he forced himself on her, confessing his feelings or some nonsense." The memory angers her to no end. She bites her lip. "I could've had him executed for such a thing but Odette pleaded for me to spare him so, instead, I banished him from Rojus, taking away his title and wealth. He was forced out of the country but it was a few months later that he returned with a borrowed army. He attacked the reception of Odette and Siegfried's wedding, resulting in both their deaths."

"Along with six hundred other people," adds Syaoran. The boy frowns and closes his hands into tight fists at his side.

Odile nods. "I would've been among the dead if it were not for Odette. Like a fool she threw her life away for mine."

"She did it to protect you," says Kurogane.

"That wasn't her role to play!" Odile barks, turning to look at him. With her brow furrowed, she adds, "She may have been the elder sibling but she was the one needing protecting. I promised to keep her safe and I failed!" Tears burn her eyes and she looks away from him, biting her lip.

"Anna-san," Syaoran says, unsure of himself. "May I ask you something?"

Odile's grateful that he's changing the subject. "Yes, of course," she says. She blinks the tears back and looks up at him.

"Back in Koryo Country, you had told Chu'nyan that revenge isn't a good enough reason for anything. I don't understand. Did you kill Rothbart out of revenge for your sister or execute him for his crimes?"

"Both. I cannot say if his death will allow his victims to rest in peace or if it makes any difference at all regarding their afterlife. What I can say, however, is that I feel better knowing that the man that has caused me so much injury is no longer in this world. I feel at peace knowing that the man who killed my sister is burning in hell. It is as if the weight of the world has been lifted from my shoulders and I happily accept any punishment for my own crimes."

The boy says nothing, only nods.

Odile looks down at the sleeping girl in her arm. "Like I said, you give me too much credit," she whispers.

"Like any of that matters!" complains Kurogane with a groan.

This takes Odile aback and she face him, shock clearly on her face.

"Everyone's got a past or dark side or whatever the hell you wanna call it but none of that matters," he says, anger and annoyance in his voice.

"Yeah!" agrees Mokona. "Wifey-chan is Wifey-chan!"

"Whether if she's 'Anna' or 'Odile'," Fai adds, kneeling down in front of her. He smiles, tilting his head to the side with his eyes closed. "Like Kuro-Kuro said; everyone has a dark side. What matters is if it's accepted by those dear to you or not. And I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we accept you for who you are, cold or warm."

"Fai-san is right!" Syaoran says, kneeling down next him. He looks to the princess and smiles. "And I'm sure Her Highness feels the same."

"So you should be there when she wakes up, Wifey-chan!" coos Mokona. "We all want you there when she wakes up! And after that too! Mokona still wants to be with Wifey-chan!"

It takes a moment for their words to sink in. They accept her? Is that possible? How is it possible? They accept her. Relief floods her. Her muscles relax as the tension of worry is released. She lets out a breath and a smile forms on her lips.

Fai laughs. "But I think we probably shouldn't make Wifey-chan angry," he teases.

Odile chuckles and shakes her head. She closes her eyes but tears trace down her cheek as she continues to smile. She doesn't know what to make of what they said but she's happy. She is genuinely happy and relieved. She didn't want these people she's grown so attached to to reject her. She wants to stay with them for as long as Yuko's bracelet will allow. Longer if at all possible.

After a moment, Fai goes, "Hmmm," looking around the room. "Well, with that all figured out, we should probably get out of here." He looks Odile over. "And get you to a doctor."

Before Odile can speak, Kurogane reacts. "The wizard's right," he says, setting his hands on her shoulders. He faces Syaoran. "Kid, take the princess," he orders. Syaoran nods and complies, taking the girl from Odile's arm. Kurogane then proceeds to wrap one arm around Odile's shoulder and scoop her legs up with the other. As he stands, Odile winces a little, biting her lip. He mumbles an apology but she shakes her head, telling him not to.

"I'm the one that should be sorry," she whispers.

"There's no reason for you to say that either," he grumbles.

Odile smiles to herself, resting her head against his chest. She recalls when she was found on the battlefield of the Moon Castle. The memory is vague since she was dizzy from blood loss but she remembers the feeling of being in Kurogane's strong arms then just like now. She feels weak and frail in his arms but that's all right. Normally she would feel uncomfortable, being powerless, but with him it's all right. He's strong and everything that she needs. She can be weak with him. "Just one reason why I love you so much," she thinks aloud in a whisper. Her eyes close and her world goes black.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Here it is as promised! And it's early! O.O Anyway. I'm super busy this weekend and I finished the chapter early and I thought that I should post it today rather than Monday or Tuesday. Sorry it's kind of short compared to the previous one. The next chapter should be on July 13th.<p>

I hope this chapter was okay and not out of character for any of the Tsubasa gang. I had a tough time writing this chapter because I just didn't know how to have the others react to Odile's little executing scene. So I asked a couple readers and their advice really helped me. I would like to credit to Juliedoo and animechick247. This chapter wouldn't have made it without you!

Next I want to address a couple reviews... People are wondering if the story is ending. Well, it is not ending anytime soon. I want to get all the way through Kurger Burger's Japan and that's still like six worlds away from now. Hopefully I can keep you awesome readers entertained until then. I have some things planned, especially with the relationship between Odile and Kurogane. ;)

Also, you guys should check out a couple reviewers that have done some awesome The Tale of a Swan fan art. (There as two spaces in the links, just so you know).

animechick247 = animechick247 .deviantart. com

FatesBestFriend24 = midnightshadows24 .deviantart. com

Anyone and everyone is free to do fan art of my stories as long as they mention the story it came from. Also, I'd like to see it. ;) And just so you guys know, I just made a DeviantArt, which the link for is on my profile, and will be posting some of my own fan art later on. I'll let you know when I do. ;)

Anyway. Thank you so much for reading! Please review/comment!


	90. Rojus V

Rojus V

_Odile pulls her sister along with one hand as the other holds a little velvet box. Odette giggles as they run around a corner, nearly losing hold of Odile's hand. They dash down the hall and run past a maid, who yelps as they pass. _

"_Sorry!" Odette calls back. Odile lets out a laugh. _

_The young girls soon reach their destination. Pushing the large wooden doors open, they skip along a roofed path to the rose garden. They weave in and out of the bushes in search of their target. They pass marble statues and roses of all colors of the rainbow. They pass red ones and blue ones and violet ones and yellow ones. They spot a bush of green ones and soon they find their target. They peer around a bush of blue roses and watch their mother, who sits on the ground next to a bush of silver roses. Two bowls sit in front of her, one filled if roses and the other full of petals. Petal-less roses sit in the middle of the bowls. Oruha sits in a flowing black dress with bustier top and her big black curly hair bounce as she moves her shoulders. There is a light smile on her face as she pulls petals from a rose. _

"_Ew," whispers Odile, sticking out her tongue. "She's going to make tea."_

"_I don't understand," Odette whispers back. "Why don't you like tea?"_

"_I like coffee better."_

_Odette giggles. "But coffee's so bitter. Mommy's tea is so good!" she says, louder than a whisper. _

"_Hello?" Oruha calls, leaning to catching a glance of her daughters hiding behind the bush. She laughs lightly. "My, what could to two possibly be up to?" she teases. _

_Odette giggles and runs out from behind the bush, pulling her sister along. The two stop in front of their mother, who looks up at them and smiles. "Daddy told us to give you this!" coos Odette, nudging Odile in the side. Odile yelps and sends her sister a glare but Odette only grins back. Odile can't help it, she smiles back and hands her mother the velvet box. _

_Oruha takes it, shocked. "What's this?" she asks, looking at the box then up at the girls. The sisters grin back and shrug their shoulders and urge her to open it. "All right," she says, opening the box. As her face lights up, the sisters peer over to get a look at a green crystal pendent. The stone is shaped like a three leaf clover and wrapped in a gold vine. _

"_Ooh!" exclaims Odette. "So pretty!"_

_Oruha giggles and motions for her daughters to come nearer. They comply and their mother kisses them both on the cheek. _

The memory fades to black then disappears all together as Odile slowly starts to open her eyes. The light in the room is warm and natural from the window to her right. The ceiling above her and the bed underneath her are unfamiliar but she doesn't panic. A moment passes as memories overwhelm her. She winces, expecting pain. Another moment passes and nothing happens. There's no pain. She's sore and there is a tingling feeling all over but no pain, with exception of her right arm and shoulder. Her right shoulder aches uncomfortably and her entire arm is numb with pins and needles.

A rustling sound, followed by footsteps, draws her attention. She turns her head to her left, finding an elderly woman standing at a table by an open door. Mokona sits on the table, watching the woman work. The woman dips a towel in a bowl of water and rings it out. It's then that Odile notices the towel slipping from her forehead.

"Do you think Wifey-chan is going to wake up soon?" the white creature asks the elderly woman. "It's been three days already." The creature sinks in its seat. "Mokona and everybody is worried."

The woman smiles but her brow it puckered, upset. She pats Mokona on the head. "There's no need to fret, little one," she says. "She's a strong young lady. It shouldn't be too long now."

"Actually," Odile chokes out. The two face her, shocked. Odile smiles but winces at her right shoulder.

"Wifey-chan!" Mokona cries, hopping from the table and over to the bed. The creature hops next to her head and pulls the towel away. "Mokona's so happy you're awake! Everyone's been so worried! How are you feeling? Does it hurt any where? What happened to your tattoo?"

"Now, now, little one," the woman chuckles, walking over to the bed. She takes the towel from Mokona and places the new one on Odile's forehead. "You mustn't ask too many questions of a patient, especially when they've just awakened."

"My tattoo?" Odile questions, lifting her head up to look down on herself. She can see under the blanket and down her chest. She's wearing a nightgown of some kind. The swan tattoo is gone. She drops her head back down on the pillow. The swan tattoo is gone. How? Why? She doesn't understand and casts the thoughts away for now. "Three days?" Odile questions instead, looking up at the woman. She is elderly with wrinkles and white hair. She has kindly features. Her hair is pulled loosely into a bun on the top of her head.

The woman nods. "Yes, dear. You've been sleeping for three days but have been in bed for four. It took a whole day to Heal those horrible wounds for yours." Odile is surprised but doesn't let it show on her face. Most Healings never take more than a few hours but her Healing took a whole day. She knew her injures were bad but didn't think they were that bad. "It seems you Healed some of your wounds yourself but improperly," the woman explains. "I had to unheal quite a few of your bone fractures. It took two men to hold you down while I treated your legs."

Odile closes her eyes tightly, pushing the memory away. All she remembers is pain and more pain. She doesn't remember any visuals but remembers three voices. One belonged to the woman and another to Kurogane. The third she recognizes but cannot place. Then pain floods her memory again.

"It's probably best that you don't try and remember the first day," the woman says.

"You're right," Odile chokes out, opening her eyes and looking to the woman. She was in a rush, focusing on staying alive and not the consequences, so her Healing was sloppy and crude. She knew that she would have to redo it all later, if she survived. She's thankful that she didn't have to unheal herself. She shivers at the thought, her stomach churning. "Thank you," she says. "Thank you for healing me, though I don't know how I can repay you."

The woman smiles. "You're very welcome, dear. And you needn't worry about paying me. You're friends have been helping around my farm. Even this little one here."

"Granny has been taking really good care of everybody!" Mokona explains.

"Granny?" Odile questions.

"My name is Nina but everyone calls me 'Granny'," the elderly woman clarifies.

Mokona goes on to say that Kuropo, Fai, Syaoran, and even Sakura-chan are all working on Granny's farm. "And Mokona helps Granny around the house!" it says. "Sakura-chan checks on Wifey-chan whenever she can and Alexander yells at Kuropo a lot because he checks in on Wifey-chan all the time too."

"Alexander?" Odile questions, surprised to hear the name. Her mind wonders to the Alexander she knows and the one she watched die on the Moon Castle. She wonders about that Rojustic Alexander. It's a popular name. It's probably not the same one.

"Yeah! He's a knight staying with Granny just like we are. Kuropo and Fai were surprised to see him. They said that they saw someone that looks just like him when we all separated in Shara."

"Is that so?" Odile whispers, confused.

"You'll meet him later," Granny interjects, suddenly serious. She leans over Odile and places the back of her hand on her cheek. Her hand is cool against her skin. "I believe that you have a fever, which is typical after such extensive Healing." Granny readjusts the towel on her head. "It's probably best for you to continue resting in bed." She smiles widely. "I'll make my famous beetroot soup! That's sure to strengthen you!" She frowns then and her eyes grow sad. "Though, there is one thing I need to tell you about your right arm."

"Yes?" Odile says. There is no need to brace herself. She has a good idea of what Nina will say.

"Healing only heals," Granny says softly. "It cannot recreate what is gone."

"I am well aware of that."

Granny nods. "There is a piece missing in the middle of your scapula, of you right shoulder."

_From when Rothbart stabbed me,_ Odile thinks, bitter.

"I'm afraid that it's something that I cannot heal. Your arm may never work the same again." Granny's voice is grim. Mokona whimpers. "Your elbow and everything below are fine but how they work is up to your shoulder, which you will be unable to move."

Odile nods, understanding. She is not surprised. A little disheartened but not surprised.

"But Granny said Wifey-chan's legs should be fine!" Mokona cheers, trying to lighten the mood. Granny catches on and smiles, nodding to confirm what Mokona has said.

Odile faces the creature and smiles. "That's wonderful," Odile says. "You and I still haven't danced together."

Mokona smiles. "Yeah! Mokona has to sing so Wifey-chan can dance!"

Odile nods with a smile. Her ears begin to ring and she braces herself.

A young girl steps forward then stops. Her long black hair falls below her knees. There are crescent moons on the shoulders of her dress. She smiles, her mouth moving as if speaking but nothing can be heard. A woman stands opposite her, red hair pulled back in a ponytail but falling past her shoulders. The woman blushes but smiles back at the girl. The girl bows her head and walks past the woman down the hall.

The vision fades and her hearing returns. Odile blinks her eyes a few times, clearing the fog. _Visions of the future,_ she thinks. That's what they must be. She doesn't understand, which upsets her. She doesn't know what to think anymore. She thinks of the vision of Rothbart killing the princess. She cringes at the thought. If she had not acted the princess would be dead. She decides that it's better not to, not now at least.

"Mokona," Granny says, crashing Odile's train of thought. The creature looks up at her, curious. "Could you be a dear and give us a moment to talk?"

Mokona smiles and says, "Okay! Mokona will go tell everybody that Wifey-chan's awake!" Mokona smiles and jumps off the bed to the floor. It hops to the door and through it out into the hallway. Granny watches as it leaves before speaking again.

"That's a cute nickname they have for you," Granny says with a smile. She faces Odile. "They also call you 'Anna' but when Alexander called you 'Odile'." She pauses, waiting for Odile to speak but she does not. "I have never seen the young sisters of the Rojustic royal family myself but I have heard that their curly hair was as red as a rose and their eyes shone like silver stars." She pauses again and again Odile says nothing. "You are safe here. There is no reason for you to hide so please tell me, are you the lost Crown Princess Odile Komarov?"

Odile moves her eyes away from the elderly woman and turns her head to look up at the ceiling. She's hesitating and she doesn't know why. Why not tell her who she really is? What use is there in hiding it? She sighs and says, "Yes. I am Odile Komarov. I took the name 'Anna' after I left the kingdom."

There is silence for a moment before Granny speaks once more. "It has been three years since the wedding massacre," she explains, her voice low.

This statement surprises Odile and she lets it show on her face. _It's been that long? _she thinks, dismayed. Last she checked it had only been two years. A whole year has gone by since she left to travel worlds.

"When news came of the death toll and the disappearance of the princess along with the assailant, no one really knew what to think," Granny continues. "The people panicked, worried for their lost princess." She frowns and Odile closes her eyes tightly. "Rumors began to fly on whether or not you were still alive and if you would ever return. Many thought you dead and others believed that Rothbart had taken you away. As time went by it was rumored that you had runaway." She shakes her head, troubled. "As some tried to keep up hope others lost it and believed that their princess would never return."

"I ran away," Odile confesses. "I just… I couldn't…" She can't find the words to say. What can she possible say anyway? There is no way to right what wrong she has committed against her country. She turns her head away, ashamed. "I'm so sorry," she whispers. The three words seem empty, as if they have no meaning from overuse. But she can't think of anything else to say.

Granny shakes her head. "What's done is done. The only thing that matters now is what you will do next."

"There are things I must do before I can return to the throne."

"So you will return?"

Odile faces her now and nods her head. "Yes but I don't know when."

Closing her eyes, Granny nods with a sigh. "I see." She opens her eyes. "Those foreigners said you killed Ivan von Rothbart. Is that true?"

Odile nods her head again. "Yes. Rothbart was killed by my hand."

Granny huffs, putting her hands on her hips. "Well, good riddance."

Odile chuckles lightly and the woman joins her.

"You are quite the woman, Princess. I eagerly await the day you return."

Odile smiles up at her. "Thank you. I'll try not to keep you waiting too long."

Granny smiles back and silence falls but only for a moment. There is a crash somewhere in the house and many pairs of footsteps race through the hall.

"And here they all come," Granny chuckles.

Kurogane runs in front of the door way, stopping just before it. He stands, breathless, leaning against the doorframe. "Anna!" he shouts but he doesn't move as Syaoran and the princess stumble into the room, under his arm. Kurogane's not smiling or anything like that but Odile can tell that he's relieved.

"Anna-san!" exclaims Syaoran, smiling.

"Anna-san!" exclaims the princess, a smile wide across her face. "Thank goodness!"

Odile smiles and tries to sit herself up with her left arm but Granny pushes her back down. "You must continue to rest, Your Highness," she says, smiling.

"Please," Odile says softly. "Don't call me that."

Granny only smiles back.

"Yea! Wifey-chan is awake!" coos Fai, jumping onto Kurogane's back, causing him to fall to the ground. Kurogane barks at him to get the hell off but Fai only grins. Mokona then jumps onto Fai's head as another man stumbles into the doorway.

"You're all much too noisy," Granny laughs. "She is still in Healing and needs her rest. Please try to restrain yourselves."

A man laughs. The sound is familiar and draws Odile's attention. She's surprised at who she sees but doesn't react. The princess steps forwards before she can. Odile notes her appearance. She wears jean overalls with a short sleeved shirt. Her boots are caked with dirt. The girl walks up to the side of the bed, Granny stepping aside.

"Anna-san," the girl says, squeezing her hands together over her chest. "How are you feeling?"

Odile smiles with a light chuckle. "I've had better days," she teases. "But I'm all right."

Sakura smiles and sighs in relief. "I'm so happy. I was afraid you would be gone when I woke up. You got hurt because of me. I'm so sorry, Anna-san." She closes her eyes, gripping her hands tighter. Tears form at the corners of her eyes and Odile pulls her left arm out from under the blanket that covers her. She sets her hand over the girl's. She grips as tight as her sore joints will allow, which is only lightly. "Anna-san?" the girl whispers, opening her eyes.

Odile looks at the girl and smiles. "There's nothing for you to be apologizing for," she says. "I'm the one that should be sorry, not you, Ms. Sakura."

This takes Sakura aback but she smiles, pulling her hands around Odile's. "Then I want to thank you." Sakura bows her head, still holding Odile's hand. "Thank you for protecting me and retrieving my feather."

"You are very welcome, Princess. I'm just glad you're safe and unhurt."

"It's thanks to you, Anna-san," says Syaoran, stepping forward to stand next to the princess. He bows deeply. "Thank you for protecting the princess."

"It was my pleasure," Odile replies. The boy stands up straight and Odile notes that he's also dressed in jean overalls, an undershirt, and dirt cakes boots. Her eyes then travel to Kurogane and Fai. They stand now, Mokona on Fai's head. Both men wear jeans and short sleeved shirts with dirt covered boots. _They've been working the fields, _she thinks. _For my sake. _Her eyes then fall to the man who still stands in the door way. His chocolate brown hair is still as shaggy as she remembers. He wears it out so it falls to his chin. His eyes are a darker brown then his hair. He also is dressed for field work.

He catches eye contact with Odile and says, "Long time, no see, Your Highness."

"I thought I told you to drop the formalities, Alexander," Odile says with a light smile.

He laughs and gives her a toothy grin. "My bad. Just wanted to make so it was actually you, Odile."

"Wait, you two know each other?" questions Kurogane, annoyance and confusion in his voice. Odile looks to him, finding him looking at her. He seems angry but that's a common emotion for him. Odile's not sure what to make of it.

"Yes," she answers.

"Yeah," Alexander says at the same time. He chuckles.

Odile gives Kurogane a shrug of a smile and explains that Alexander was the one who helped her after the massacre.

"We were only together for like a month," adds Alexander.

"Well, that explains why you call her 'Odile'," coos Fai. He grins. "But when you say together—"

"He was only my escort," Odile cuts in. "On orders from his king, my uncle."

"We only traveled together," Alexander says, running a hand through his hair. "Nothing to worry about there, Kurogane." He sends the ninja a grin. Odile doesn't see Kurogane's return expression and she watches as Alexander raises an eyebrow and smirks back.

Kurogane faces Odile again and asks, "Why didn't you say something back in Yama?" His eyes narrow and Odile raises an eyebrow.

"Ooh!" sings Fai. "I think Kuropo is jealous!"

"Shut up!" Kurogane barks at him. Alexander laughs and Kurogane screams at him too.

Odile chuckles and says, "You wouldn't have been able to understand me even if I did." Kurogane looks at her, surprised but understanding. He nods, not too happy.

Fai lets out a laugh. "Well, I think that we should let the lovely couple have a few moments alone," he coos. Granny nods in agreement and motions for the princess and Syaoran to head for the door. Granny pushes them as well as Alexander out of the room. Fai follows after, casting one last smile at Odile before closing the door behind him. The room is silent for a moment as Kurogane and Odile look at each other. Her eyes fall to his hands, which are balled into tight fists at his sides. She looks back up at his face. He's upset.

"Kurogane," she says softly. "How are you?"

The question takes him by surprise. "How am I?" he says, running a hand through his hair. He walks up to the edge of the bed and looks down at her. "I'm worried about you, dumbass."

"There's nothing for you to worry about," she says quietly. "I'm fine. Granny is a remarkable Healer."

He frowns. "How are you?"

Odile chuckles lightly and looks up at the ceiling. She's getting sick of that question and answering it. But it's Kurogane. She can be honest with him. She doesn't have to pretend that she's all right if she really isn't. However, she is all right. Besides her right arm, she's just fine, physically at least. Mentally she thinks she's all right. She's not sure why she wouldn't be. "Surprisingly, I'm fine," she finally answers. "Granny says that my legs are as good as new."

"And your arm?" Kurogane asks, putting his hands on his hips.

Lifting her left hand, Odile looks it over. "Just fine," she says, wiggling her fingers. She notes the engagement ring on her middle finger and the silver bracelet around her wrist.

"I mean your right arm."

Tentatively, she looks up at him. The look in his eyes causes her to look away. She turns her head to the right and peers out the window. The sun is on its way down but it's still high in the sky, which is clear and blue. "My right arm," she whispers, still looking out the window. "I'm afraid," she starts, "That I won't be able to use it like before. My shoulder… was severely injured. It can't be healed." Odile looks at Kurogane then. He stands, his eyes closed tightly in anger. He grits his teeth. Tears sting her eyes. She doesn't like seeing him like this. "I'm fine with it, though, Kurogane," she says softly. She smiles lightly, trying to be reassuring. "I'll have to relearn how to do some things but I'll be fine. Besides, I have you, don't I?" She smiles brightly, her eyes closed.

This takes Kurogane off guard and he rubs a hand on the back of his neck not sure who to reply. He mumbles something under his breath then sighs, taking a seat on the edge of the bed. He frowns and his brow in puckered. Locks of his black hair fall into his face.

"Kurogane," she whispers, reaching her left hand out for him. He takes her hand in both of his, turning slightly towards her. His grip is light and his hands are warm. Odile grips his hands back. "I… You…" She can't find any words to say to lighten the weight on his shoulders.

With an angry look on his face, he kisses her knuckles then presses her hand on his forehead. "This is the second time I've held your hand while you lay in a hospital bed," he says, his voice deep and quiet. He grits his teeth.

Odile's voice catches in her throat. She doesn't know what to say, if there's anything that she can say.

Over her hand, he looks at her. Releasing one hand from hers, he reaches into his pocket. He pulls out her hair tie and slips it onto her wrist.

"Kurogane," she chokes out, tears in her eyes.

"This is the second time I'm giving this to you after failing to protect you," he says, angry. He grips her hand tightly with both of his once again.

"Kurogane, I'm fine," she says, louder than a whisper. "I'm fine," she repeats, trying to reassure him.

"You're not fine!" he barks. "You're not fine and you need to stop saying that you are! It pisses me off that off that I've failed to protect the woman I love!"

Odile blushes at his words. Her face reddens even more as the words sink in further. Her heart begins to race and a smile twitches on her lips. She looks him in the eyes and he looks back unfazed by his own words. "But," she finally says, "You save me every time." Her words are slow and thought out. "There's no need for you to protect me because you always save me in the end."

He shakes his head and kisses her hand again. "You're a fool," he says.

"I thought I was a pain in the ass."

"That too."

She smiles with a chuckle. "I guess it sucks to be you then. You're in love with a fool who's a pain in the ass too."

He chuckles, finally giving her something of a smile. "I can live with that."

"Good because I love you too."

Kurogane smiles then and Odile blushes. "Took you long enough to say it."

"Me? What about you? I said it back in Yama but you couldn't understand me."

"Same here," he says. "And I think I said it first." He leans towards her, dropping his left hand from hers. Pressing his hand on the bed beside her, he leans over. Odile blushes as his lips fall on hers. His lips and tongue move against hers, claiming dominance. Odile allows him to take control, following his lead, losing her breath. Through the soreness and the tingling, her body catches fire.

Long moments pass before he releases her, leaving her breathless and her mind dizzy. He smirks down at her and she smiles up at him. He takes a deep breath and presses his forehead against hers. "Never leave my side," he says, peering down at her, looking right through her.

Her heart skips a beat and she smiles, a blush on her cheeks. "Of course," she replies. "You can't get rid of me easily."

He smirks and kisses her again. He kisses her like he wants to, making her wish she was able to hold him in her arms and never let go.

His lips pull away from hers again and again he smirks. "If only you weren't still recovering," he says, causing Odile to blush. She looks away, closing her eyes and lets out a light chuckle. He kisses her forehead.

She loves him and he loves her. How did she manage to fall for him so hard and so completely? She wants to be with him and only him for as long as possible and then even longer still. She wants to know everything she can about him. She wonders how this all came to pass. She remembers when she first met him. She thought he was just a muscle head then her opinion changed and she became wary of the black warrior who could see right through her. There was a tension and an awkwardness at first. It's been a year since then, for her at least. They've come so far. She wonders what would happen if another year went by. Where would they be then?

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So, my dear readers, one year ago today, I posted the first chapters of this story. Can you believe it? It's been a full year already. O.O<p>

I think it's rather fitting that I post this chapter today to celebrate the one year anniversary. Odile and Kurogane have confused their feelings for each other and just think, one year ago they just met and now they love each other, and it's been a whole year in the story too. And just so you know, I totally didn't plan any of this. It just happened. ;)

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. I hoping to keep to my schedule and post the next chapter on the 13th.

Please review/comment! Your reviews and comment really make me happy. I love hearing your thoughts and opinions. They're what keep me going with this story so please, please, review and/or comment!


	91. Rojus VI

Rojus VI

_The two girls hang half their bodies out the carriage window. With one hand supporting them, the other waves at the crowd. They both smile brightly, yelling greetings to their people. The carriage, along with knights on horse and on foot, march through the town. The town's people stand on the sides of the road, cheering and waving. Little colorful pieces of paper and flower petals fly through the air as people throw them from the buildings towering several stories above. _

_The wind picks up speed for a moment, blowing Odette's red hair in her face. She giggles as she hops back into her seat. Odile follows soon after, leaning against the windowpane. She watches as her sister leans across her mother's lap to the other window. Oruha leans over and looks out the window with her eldest daughter. _

"_There are so many people!" exclaims Odette, a giggle in her voice. She turns to look at her father, who sits with his arms folded over his chest. "Are they all here to see us?"_

"_Yep," he answers, grinning widely. "It's not every day that the royal family visits a mining town."_

_Odette smiles and looks back out the window. _

_Odile takes a seat next to her father. The man looks down at her, curious as to why she isn't looking out the window along with her sister. _

"_Why are we here anyway?" she finally asks, looking up at him. "I understand that Lancaster has discovered a new mine and all but why would the royal family visit for something so trivial?"_

_He chuckles, not surprised by the question. "Well, first off, it's not trivial," he answers, dropping his arms from his chest. "You see, this town has one of the largest crystal mining operations in Rojus but recently they have been down in production—" _

_Odile frowns, furrowing her eyebrows. "So finding this new mine is like a renewal—I know that already! I understand all that but what I don't understand is why we're here."_

"_Ah, well—"_

_Oruha chuckles, cutting Demetri short. "Allow me to explain, Dearest," she says sweetly to her husband. Odette crawls back from the window and sits next to her mother, across from Odile. _

_Demetri bows his head with a smiles, motioning her to go on. _

"_To put it simply, we are here as encouragement. This town has been down and out for so long and yes finding this new mine is wonderful and all but is there a guarantee that a shortage will not happen again? The people of this town need a little boost of confidence to continue their fine work despite the possibility that they may not find another mine after this one."_

"_Wow," Demetri whistles. "I couldn't have said it any better." He smiles and winks at his wife. _

_Oruha smiles back with her eyes closed, tilting her head to the side. "Why, thank you."_

_Odette throws her hand in the air like a student would. _

_Oruha points to her and says, "Yes, Ms. Odette?"_

_With her hand still in the air, she faces her mother. "I don't get it! Can you say all that again?"_

_Oruha chuckles and nods her head. She explains again until Odette understands. _

_Odile sinks into the seat next to her father. _

"_Something the matter, sweetie?" Demetri asks, warping an arm around her small frame. _

_Odile shakes her head, puffing her cheeks. _So this is just a public relations project, _she thinks. "I'm mad that I didn't figure that out on my own," she confesses, crossing her arms over her chest. _

_Demetri lets out a loud laugh. "Now you know for next time. But you're still young, Odile. Enjoy being a kid. Don't rush into politics."_

A tears traces down the side of her face, startling her awake. These memories will be the end of her. All the happy times she can't return to, that were stolen from her. Despite her present, her past holds more power over her than she cares to admit. Her future is murky though she thinks it hopeful. She decides that when she returns to the throne, things will not be as they once were. She won't take everything on her shoulders. She'll have an aid and may even reestablish a senate in place of a council.

She understands now why she ran away in the first place. Walking through the halls, through the rooms, through the library and the studies, will be painful. Everywhere she'll turn in that place is full memories of the happy days. Not only will she have to relive them in her dreams but with everything that she does within the palace walls. She'll have to be strong, for herself and her people. She cannot afford to be weak. Only with Kurogane is it okay, she decides.

The last thought causes her to smile but then she frowns. _Once this journey is over, once the bracelet breaks and I return to Rojus and the crown… _she thinks, unable to finish the thought. She'll deal with that when the time comes. There's no need to fret about it now when there's nothing she can do. She'll keep moving forward as if every day is precious until the day she has to deal with what is to come when the journey ends.

She looks to her right, out the window. The sky is dark, lit by a bright half moon. Farther back is the red moon and stars dot the skyline. Something wiggles at her side. Moving her head to get a better look, she finds Mokona snuggled up between her left arm and her middle. Its head rests on her arm, facing the door. She smiles and watches the creature breath in and out as it peacefully sleeps. Then her eyes wonder to the wall next to her. She's taken aback by who she sees but she smiles and stays quiet. Kurogane sits on the floor with his legs and arms crossed. His breathing is even and he looks almost as peaceful as Mokona.

The red crystal on Mokona's forehead starts to glow a purple color. A ray of light forms and shines out towards the door, creating a circle like glass. Odile is startled but doesn't react. It's the same as Koryo. She turns her head to get a better view.

After a moment, Yuko appears beyond the glass. Her hair is down and she smiles. Even though only her head and half her middle show in the glass, Odile can tell that Yuko is standing with her hands on her hips. "Hello Anna," Yuko greets, nodding her head.

Odile smiles at her and tries her best not to disturb the sleeping creature. "Ms. Yuko," she greets back.

She explains that, while Mokona sleeps, they can speak freely. "Then again Kurogane is in the room," she adds.

"There's no need to worry about him," Odile says.

Yuko smiles and wiggles her eyebrows with a smirk. "So you and the grumpy ninja, huh? Well, don't you two make an odd couple?"

Odile blushes but smiles, nodding her head.

Yuko chuckles softly. "Mokona told me all about what happened," she adds, her smile gone. "How are holding up?"

Odile sighs quietly. "I've had better days but I'm alive, that's got to count for something, right?"

Yuko chuckles lightly, understanding. "You've grown since I first met you."

"I don't think so. I'm pretty sure I'm the same height as before," Odile teases.

Yuko chuckles again and shakes her head. "You've just proven my point. It's good to see you put together again."

"There's still a couple pieces missing but I'm getting there. It's all thanks to Kurogane and the others." Her eyes fall to the sleeping Kurogane and she smiles. A thought crosses Odile's mind. She remembers something Rothbart had said. He said that the stranger told him that she came in contact with a witch. How did the stranger know that? Is it possible that there's a connection? She second guesses whether or not to address the thought but then decides to. "Rothbart had one of the princess's feathers," she starts. "Did you have any idea that there was a feather in Rojus?"

Yuko frowns and holds her gaze for a moment. She lets out a breath and says, "I had my suspicions, yes." She pauses, waiting for Odile to react, but she does not. Odile isn't surprised and she's not sure why. She's not mad either, like she thinks she should be.

Odile turns away and looks up at the ceiling. "Rothbart told me the true history of Rojus," she says, her words slow. "Some stranger from another world told him that Ms. Sakura's feather caused the collapse of the Rojustic Empire centuries ago. He said that magicians were persecuted afterwards and soon magic was forbidden all together. The feather was forgotten about until the stranger told him of it." She turns back to face the witch. "Rothbart had magic, Forbidden magic. He said that it ran in his family's blood." Yuko's red eyes study her for a moment but soon the woman sighs.

"The royal family of Rojus is a bloodline of powerful magicians," Yuko says. This takes Odile by surprise but she doesn't react. Yuko continues, "After the fall of the Empire, they were banned from using their powers and history was written to hide the fact the royals had magic. Over the years, it was all together forgotten that the royals are magician, so much so that the royals themselves are unaware."

"And how do you know this?" Odile questions, not sure what to make of what she said.

"It was your mother who told me. She was what's called a Dreamseer, meaning that she could see the future in her dreams, and it was through a dream that the two of us met. She told me that she saw the potential both you and your sister had as magicians of Forbidden Magic. It was later agreed that she and your father would pay the price to seal away your powers."

_I have magic,_ she thinks. _The visions. _Her mind reels and she closes eyes tightly, pushing away a headache. "What price did they pay?" she finally asks. She can only imagine.

Yuko closes her eyes and answers, "Their remaining time."

Odile nods but tears threaten to fall from her eyes. She closes them tightly and bites her lip. The way Mother and Father acted before going to the mountains for their anniversary never sat right with her. Father made her promise to look after Odette and to remain strong. He spoke as if he wasn't going to come back. Mother did the same. Hugging tighter and offering more kisses and reassuring her daughters that everything was going to be all right. They'd go to the mountain retreat twice or even three times a year and they never acted like that until then. She releases a quiet whimper and opens her eyes slowly, allowing the tears to fall freely down the sides of her face. Yuko is silent, allowing Odile time to pull herself together.

Odile decides to change the subject. She faces Yuko again and gives her a weak smile. "The swan tattoo is gone," she says softly. "Do you know anything about that?"

Yuko nods her head. "Rothbart's magic was unstable," she explains. "When he destroyed your soul's bond, his spell distorted the shape of your soul into the black swan that stained your chest. Now that he's dead his magic is gone, along with the magic that morphed your soul. Your soul is back to normal now but, of course, your soul's bond is still broken."

"Of course," Odile says, bitterly. "I've been having visions," she confesses.

"You're true magic."

"I don't understand. I thought my magic was sealed. Why do I have visions? Why can I use Rojustic magic?"

"The seal was to lock away your Forbidden Magic, not your capability for Rojustic magic." A pause. "The seal on your powers is breaking. The closer you came to death, the weaker the seal became. Soon the seal will break all together."

"And what my parents paid will be in vain."

Yuko says nothing. Odile thinks nothing. She allows her mind to go blank, even if only for a few moments.

"The stranger Rothbart talked about," Odile says, breaking the silence. "The stranger had mentioned you."

"It's getting late," Yuko says in a hushed and final tone. "It's time for you to rest."

"You're right," she says, nodding with her eyes closed. "Thank you, Ms. Yuko; for listening and telling me about my parents." Even though there is probably much that she's not sharing, Odile still owes Yuko for more than just the tie on her soul. "Thank you for all you've done."

Yuko smiles but it doesn't reach her eyes. "Don't thank me yet, Your Majesty," she says, turning away. The purple light fades and Mokona wiggles at her side. Odile waits a moment and nothing happens. Mokona's still asleep. She leans her head back with a sigh and looks up at the ceiling.

She has a feeling everything is connected. She's not sure how. She doesn't understand magic and barely knows anything about it. If whatever the connection is it probably has something to do with the princess's feathers. It may even have something to do with the princess herself along with those that travel to gather her feathers.

From the corner of her eye, Odile looks towards Kurogane. She's not surprised to find him looking at her from the corner of his eye. He's a light sleeper, she's noticed. Back in Yama, if she woke up from a nightmare, he woke up or was already awake. She has a feeling that it's a part of his ninja training. Warriors have to always be on their toes, alert. Being a light sleeper probably helps with warrior things.

Kurogane doesn't say anything and neither does Odile as she turns to face him. After a moment, she whispers, "I'm sorry you heard all that."

"Heard what?" he whispers back.

Odile's taken aback but smiles, her eyes closed. "It's all right. I don't mind if you heard any of that but I'm sorry that you did."

"The witch knows more than she's letting on."

Odile nods. "Probably but she must have her reasons."

Kurogane frowns. "So you and that bastard actually held a conversation while he tortured you?"

She chuckles darkly. "The torture more or less started after the conversation, which was pretty one sided. I wouldn't call is a conversation actually."

He's quiet for a moment, gritting his teeth.

"Hey, Kurogane?"

"What?"

"My past and my country's affairs are my burden, not yours."

He sighs and closes his eye, leaning his head back. "Yeah. I get that. But don't forget I'm here."

"That's impossible."

He smirks. "Go back to sleep. You need to rest."

"So I've heard," she teases, closing her eyes. She hears him grumble something but she's not sure what it is. He's a mysterious guy that's for sure. She knows so little about his past now that she thinks about it. His parents passed when he was young, there was something about Suwa Providence, and somehow he became a ninja for Princess Tomoyo. That's all she knows. She wants to know more, everything if at all possible. She doesn't want him to tell her anything that he doesn't want her to know but it's almost not fair that he knows so much about her and she knows so little about him. But she's patient, she can wait, and even if he never tells her, she's fine with that. Though she hopes that one day he'll open up a little.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: Here's this weeks chapter. I hope it didn't seem top out of character or out of canon. I also hope that I cleared up a couple things regarding the swan tattoo and her visions. ;) The next chapter should be the end of the Rojus arc and then we;ll be moving on to Piffle World. The next update should be on Friday July 27th.<p>

Also, I'd like to mention the cover art. It is courtesy of Phoenix-06 on DeviantART. I just love the picture and found it to be a good fit for the story.

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review/comment!


	92. Rojus VII

Rojus VII

Odile lies in bed, sitting up, supported by several pillows. She sighs, leaning her head back, hitting it against the hard wood of the head board. She curses under her breath and leans forward again, rubbing her hand on the back of her head. Bringing her hand back around, she looks at her wrist. Her hair tie now sits with the silver bracelet. She blushes, touching her fingers to her lips. She smiles, remembering Kurogane's confession along with her own. Then her mind drifts to her conversation with Yuko. She shakes the thoughts away with a deep breath.

She sighs again and looks around the room before her eyes fall to her right arm, now in a sling. It has been a couple days since she woke up and yesterday she was finally able to get out of bed on her own. She could walk just fine but the pain in her arm was unbearable. The weight of her arm against her shoulder caused her to whimper. Kurogane panicked and picked her up, trying to decrease her discomfort. Granny decided to put her arm in sling. It helps with the pain and it also keeps her arm out of the way, considering that it's more or less useless. There is still a throbbing pain in her shoulder though the rest of her arm seems all right, sore but all right.

She frowns. When she first started this journey, she was worried about being useless. She's not a fighter or anything like that. The thing that made her semi useful was her Healing and her insight, which was limited. Now she only has one arm. Her Healing has been halved. Her insight many have expanded ever so slightly but it means very little. She's even more useless than she was at the beginning of the journey.

She sighs, frustrated with her thoughts. She's useless, yes. But she can walk. There's no longer a feather in this country so there is need for them to be in Rojus any longer. She's the only thing that's keeping them here. That and payment to Granny. Odile's sure she can straighten up a deal with the woman, allowing them to leave as soon as possible.

With her mind made up, Odile wiggles out of bed. She wears a short night dress with no sleeves that hangs to her knees. The floor is warm under her bare feet. She cracks her toes before standing. To her annoyance, her red hair falls into her face.

Heading out of the room, she keeps her footsteps light. She smiles, her steps careful. She truly is grateful to Granny. Her legs feel fresh, as if they've never been broken. She was worried that Rothbart might've been speaking the truth that she'd never been able to dance again. She shakes the thought from her head. Rothbart is dead. There is no doubt about that powerful fact. There's no need for Odile to dwell on his worthless existence any longer.

She finds her way down a short hall. She passes a mirror and can't help but look herself over. To her surprise, her hair falls several inches past her shoulders. It hangs near the middle of back in deep red waves and curls. Her bangs hang just above her eyes, threatening to cover them all together. But that is not all. Moving her hair to the side along with the fabric of the sling, she looks at her chest. The swan is gone. Her chest is bare, empty in a way. She turns slightly to the side and looks to her neck, where the head of the swan once was. The magic circle that was once in its eye now sits on her neck, a little larger. Odile can make out an eye like shape in the middle surrounded by eight circles with twelve smaller circles around that. It's the same circle Mokona uses when they move worlds. It is Yuko's magic circle, Odile concludes.

With a sigh, she pulls her hair back into place on her shoulders and continues down the hall. She notes that there are two doors on the other side of the hall and another next door to the room she was in. At the end of the hall, she enters a large open room. The kitchen is to her right along with a dining area. To her left is a living area complete with a fireplace and a large bay window with a bench. Odile smiles. It's a cozy little house and it reminds her of the cabin she left behind. She lived in that little wooden building for two years. Needless to say that she had gotten a little attached to it.

The house is empty. Walking up to the dining table, she stumbles against it, her breath stuck in her throat. She may be Healed to the best of Granny's abilities but in there lies the problem. Her body went through intensive Healing, something it is not used to. Her temple pounds for a long few moments. She closes her eyes against the dizziness that follows.

It all passes as soon as it came. With a sigh, Odile pushes herself away from the table to towards the open front door. A cool breeze runs through her hair as her bare feet touch soft dirt of a walking path. She thinks about putting on shoes but decides against it.

With a slow pace, Odile walks to the end of the house and peers to what lays behind it, which is the same as the front. The valley surrounding Granny's home is flat farm land. A small barn sits well behind the house while the front houses apple trees and a large veggie garden. A short wooden fence runs along the eastern boundary, separating Granny's property from another's.

Looking back towards the front, she spots figures in the distance, within the greenery of the garden. She counts five plus Mokona and ponders where the sixth could be. She takes a step forward but is stopped by the sound of footsteps. She turns around in time to hear Alexander sigh and walk around the house into view. His chocolate hair is pulled back into a loose pony tail with locks falling into his face. He wears jeans ticked in mug caked boots along with leather gloves. He doesn't wear a shirt, his skin light tanned from work. Odile notes several scars on his chest but soon adverts her eyes, slightly embarrassed and not sure why.

He is shocked to see her and prepares to scold her but smiles instead. "Looks like you're feeling better," he says, pure relief in his voice. He walks up to stand only inches from her. "I was starting to worry."

"There's nothing to worry about," she says, looking up at him, smiling. "I had a wonderful Healer, after all."

Alexander lets out a bark of a laugh but agrees. "Granny's got some skills, that's for sure."

Odile chuckles lightly and Alexander smiles, thoughtful. "You look a lot better than when I last saw you," he says, putting his hands on his hips.

"When you last saw me, it wasn't the best first impression."

He smiles but the feeling doesn't reach his eyes. "It's totally understandable, considering everything that happened."

Odile nods, grateful for his understanding.

"I'm glad I get to see you like this though. Compared to when I last saw you, if I didn't know any better, I wouldn't even know it was you. For the month that we were together, you never laughed and barely smiled. I mean, I get it, you just lost your sister and you were attacked by that bastard and all that. It's just good to see you smiling and laughing like you should be." He gives her a toothy grin, his eyes closed.

Odile smiles, a light blush on her cheeks, flattered by his words. "And it's all thanks to my companions." She looks out at the field and a smile tugs at her lips. "They more or less forced me out of my hole." _Which lead to everything else,_ she thinks. Even after two years on her own, she never saw the light outside of the darkness and despair that overtook her after losing Odette. She truly believes that if it were not for them, she would still be in that cabin in grief and denial. Now she stands in the light, still sorrowful for her sister but accepting.

Alexander sighs and rubs a hand on the back of his neck. He shakes his head and steps around Odile. He stops after a couple steps, kicking a loose stone. "Those travel companions for yours are really something else," he says before letting out a chuckle. "That Fai guy has a thing for nicknames I've noticed. He even gave me one," he says. " 'Alex-kun' he calls me. What does that even mean?"

Odile shakes her head, smiling. "I don't know. Have you heard his names for Kurogane?"

"I think 'Kurgie Pie' is my favorite," he laughs. Odile joins in, shaking her head.

"Kurogane's quite the character, I've got to say." He smiles but his voice is shaky, not from laughter. Before Odile can speak, Alexander looks over his shoulder at her. There a light smile on his lips but something else behind his gaze. "It's really good to see you again, Odile," he says. "Though, I wish our meeting was under different circumstances."

She lets out a breath and looks to the ground. "I could say the same," she whispers.

After a moment, Alexander stretches and reaches both his arms behind his head. He smirks. "So you and that tall, dark, and gloomy guy, huh? Didn't figure he'd be your type."

Odile blushes brightly. How many times has someone asked her that question and posed it like that? She's still not used to answering in the positive. "Yes," she answers, taking a deep breath. "I think Odette would say the same thing," she confesses with a chuckle.

He chuckles, shaking his head. "That's not very proper for a lady such as yourself."

"I'm not one for what's proper and for what's not."

He laughs. "Yeah, yeah, I know, Miss I-Don't-Eat-Everything-On-My-Plate, which is the proper thing to do."

Odile chuckles. "You should talk to Fai about that one."

He breaks into a short fit of laughter, leaning forward a little. He shakes his head, tossing his chuckles away. "Damn," he breathes out. "And here I was hoping to win your heart."

Odile's heart skips a beat, taken aback by his words. He's not playing around. She opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. She catches Alexander's eyes with her own and looks away.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you, whether you were okay or struggling. I never considered myself a worry-wart until I met you." He sighs with a light laugh in his voice. "But whatcha gonna do?" he says, shrugging his shoulders. "I'm three years too late." He chuckles but it's a half hearted gesture to lighten the mood.

"And you're not my type," Odile teases tentatively, looking up at him finally.

Alexander chuckles, shaking his head. "Yeah, guess not. I'm tall but I don't think I'm dark and angry looking." He chuckles again at his joke.

"Besides," she says with a sigh, stepping to stand next to him, "You deserve much better than me."

"Nah, don't say stuff like that. Kurogane's one lucky bastard."

Odile smiles softly, shaking her head. She looks to the ground and wraps her left arm over her right, gripping her elbow. Her mind wonders to what Kurogane could possibly see in her. Thinking rationally, she believes that she may have some assets that a man could find attractive. However, considering her baggage and her not-so-attractive assets, she can't find why Kurogane would love her. But then again, thinking about Kurogane, she wonders why she loves him. She thinks about how much Kurogane has done for her, all the pieces he has helped put back together without even trying; his strength and his unmentionable kindness. "I love him, Alexander," she says softly, a smile tugging on her lips.

"And he loves you," he sighs. "Like I said, I wish we could've met under different circumstances. Maybe then things between us could've turned out differently. But, from just how you said that, maybe not." His smile twitches.

There's a lull in the conversation and Odile is the one to creak it, ready to change the subject. "Why are you here, Alexander?" she finally asks as a breeze dances across her bare skin.

"Well, that's a loaded question," Alexander chuckles.

"I thought you returned to your king after we parted ways three years ago."

Alexander sighs, irritated. "Well," he breathes, "There's quite a bit I need to fill you in on." He gestures for her to follow and she does. He leads her to the fence, which he leans up against.

Odile follows suit, taking a loose seat on the lower rail. There's another lull in the conversation. "I'm all ears," she says, implying for him to speak on.

"Yeah," he sighs. "Give me a minute; just trying to get the words together." He leans his head back, his elbows on the railing. He sighs before saying, "I'm on a mission for His Majesty, King Nicolai." He pauses, looking over Odile, who is unaffected by his words. He continues. "During my travels, I got hurt; cornered by some bandits. I kicked their asses, of course, but got my ass kicked in the process." He chuckles, shaking his head. "Anyway, Granny's the one that Healed me, but I was low on funds. I didn't want to trouble His Majesty so I'm working to pay her off. Good thing too, since I ran into you finally. You see, my mission was to find you."

This takes Odile aback but she doesn't let it show. "And why is that?" she asks.

"King Nicolai's been worried out of his mind over you. You don't write or even send holiday cards. He's heard nothing of you or from you for the last three years."

"It was decided that I wouldn't keep in contact, remember?"

"Yeah but you should've."

She looks down at her feet, now lightly dusted with dirt. "I'm sorry."

Alexander sighs and shakes his head. "You say that too much." A pause. "His Majesty wanted me to find you and see how you were holding up. I've been traveling under a different pretext, of course, since the general public thinks you dead or gone."

"And now you've found me. I'm doing fine. You can tell my uncle that I'm better. Mission complete."

"He's dying, Odile."

His words slice her and her breath catching in her throat. She leans forward, her hair falling around her face and shoulders. Her fingers fiddle with the fabric of her night dress as she sticks her legs out in front of her, balancing herself on the rail with her heels. She takes several light breaths, composing herself. She looks up at Alexander, her expression calm and even. "I'm well aware of my uncle's poor health," she says. Her uncle has always been sick though she never truly knew to what extent. He was good at keeping such things on a need to know basis. However, it was a detail of the promise they made to each other, when he called her out on her behavior back whenever. He has some kind of cancer, he told her. He didn't mention what stage it was in or the type of cancer it was. He simply told her that he had cancer and left it at that.

"Well, it's gotten worse since you last saw him," Alexander says, bitter. "He can't hide it from his followers any more, that's how bad it is. There's no more that doctors can do for him and Healers are useless when it comes to this stuff. You have to return to the throne, Odile. You have to return to your kingdom so you—"

Odile shakes her head, cutting him off. "I can't do that. You see, I've been traveling this last year on Ms. Yuko's behalf, paying her back for the seal on my soul. I'm still paying her back, therefore I can't return just yet."

Alexander tries to protest, stepping away from the fence, his hands in fists.

Odile keeps her gaze on him even and unfazed. "I understand your concern for my uncle's health," she says. "Taking on matters of two kingdoms must be weighing greatly on his health." She frowns, thinking of how her departure may have quickened the decrease in his health. She thinks of the stress she felt running one nation. Her uncle has been running two these last three years. "My hands are tied," she says, casting the thoughts away. "There's nothing I can do until my price is paid in full." A pause for breath. "Besides, my uncle is much too stubborn to give in to illness before fulfilling his promise to me. In accordance to a promise we made with each other, he will look over Rojus in my absence as if it were his own kingdom and I will do the same when and if the time comes."

Alexander frowns, angry. "That's all you have to say?" he says through gritted teeth. "I just told you that your uncle is dying and you speak of politics?"

"That's the only reason you brought it up, is it not? If my math is correct, Prince Luke should only be seven to eight years old and nowhere near ready to take the throne as king. There will be chaos within the court as nobles vie for the position as regent. The monarchy will surely collapse under the rule of some power hungry nobleman." She sighs, looking back at her feet. "That aside, I do feel for my uncle. He and Luke are the only family members of have left in this life. However, if I allowed every death, like that of my parents and my sister, to destroy me then there will be nothing left of me. My uncle understands this very well, more so than anyone else I think."

Alexander stands, silent and wide eyed at her words. His mouth hangs open ever so slightly and his fists shake at his sides. He grits his teeth and looks away from her.

Odile sighs and looks out to the garden. The princess looks in her direction and waves. Syaoran joins in before the two return to picking carrots. Odile watches as Granny barks at Kurogane for stopping his work, having turned to look at her and Alexander. She hears Fai laugh as he dances around them with a basket and Mokona on his head.

Alexander follows her gaze. He sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "Sorry," he mumbles. "I over reacted a little. I shouldn't've raised my voice."

"No," Odile replies, shaking her head. "You are acting of your loyalty to your king. You are in the right and I'm the one who is in the wrong. There's no need for you to apologize. Besides, you didn't really raise your voice."

Alexander says nothing but nods. He sighs again and rubs the back of his neck. "So," he says with yet another sigh in his voice. "You're traveling to pay back the witch?"

Odile nods. "Princess Sakura lost her memories in the form of feathers, which were scattered throughout different worlds," she explains. "My price is to aid Syaoran in finding them and returning them to Ms. Sakura."

"And that's would you've been doing this last year?"

Odile nods. "Yes." She explains that Rothbart somehow got his hands on one of the princess's feathers, thus why she is in Rojus now.

"And you killed him in order to get the feather back?"

"That wasn't the only reason."

Alexander nods, understanding. "Good riddance."

Odile chuckles lightly. "Granny said the same thing."

Alexander laughs. "Many others will too." He kicks a loose pebble as he ponders a thought. "How much longer do you think you'll have to travel?" he asks.

"I don't know. I've been gone for a full year now. It could possibly be another year before I return. I'd ask Ms. Yuko but she'd probably charge me for it." She chuckles half-heartedly.

"Wifey-chan!" Mokona coos, hopping into Odile's lap. "You're out of bed! How are you feeling? Mokona bets the fresh air is helping Wifey-chan feel better!"

The princess and Syaoran run up behind the white creature. They both smile widely, happy to see her.

Odile chuckles lightly, before casting a glance at Alexander. The knight gives her a crooked smile and folds his arms over his chest, leaning back against the fence once again.

"Ooh!" sings Fai, walking up to the others. He is followed by Kurogane and Granny. "Are we interrupting something?"

"No," Odile answers. "We were just talking politics. Nothing of any concern."

"You sure about that?" Kurogane asks, walking to stand next to her, the side opposite Alexander. Odile doesn't look at him but down at Mokona. The creature looks up at her, confused. Odile smiles and it smiles back, no longer confused, or rather not concern about it.

Odile can feel Kurogane looking at her but soon feels him look away. She sighs, grateful that he doesn't press the matter, at least not now. She turns and faces Sakura and Syaoran. She smiles at the princess who smiles back before turning to face Syaoran head on.

He smiles. "It's good seeing you out of bed, Anna-san," Syaoran says.

Odile smiles. "It's good to be out of bed," she says. "Though, I'm sorry that you've been in Rojus for—" She stops herself and looks around at the scenary before her. There are no mountains in any direction. This can't possibly be Rojus, or even her Uncle's country, which borders Rojus. Both counties have mountains that can be seen throughout the entire country. She faces Granny and asks, "Where are we exactly?"

Alexander laughs and she looks up at him. "I was wondering if you figured it out," he chuckles.

"Oh, hush, now," Granny scolds. She faces Odile and smiles. "You are in the country of Essen, north of your home country."

"Essen," Odile whispers, trying to recall a continental map of her world. If she's correct, it's two or three countries north of Sokoll, her uncle's country. She sighs and shakes her head. "Anyway," she says, looking back to Syaoran and the princess. "You must be anxious to move to the world to find the next feather."

"Oh, no!" Syaoran exclaims, waving his hands in the air. "Don't worry about that, Anna-san!"

"Your health comes first, Anna-san!" Sakura adds, just a frantic. "Oh, wait." The girl ponders a thought. "Your real name is Odile, isn't it? Shouldn't we call you 'Odile-san' instead?"

The question takes her by surprise. She smiles. " 'Anna-san' is fine," she answers, looking to each of her travel companions, her friends. She tells them that she prefer that name then her real one, considering that they know her as "Ann" and not "Odile." Besides that, she's not ready to fully take back the name of "Odile" and all that comes with it just yet, but she doesn't tell them this. "It may be easier to go by a false name while traveling anyway." She smiles with her eyes closed, titling her head to the side.

"So you're not staying here, Wifey-chan?" Fai asks. He points to her left hand. "If I'm not mistaken, that bracelet will break when you've paid your price, correct?"

"Correct," she says. She holds up her left wrist to confirm that the silver bangle is still intact. "My journey will be over when this bracelet breaks." Yuko's words echo through her mind and they don't sit right with her. _Once that happens, you will not be able to move forward to the next world._ She decides to keep that part to herself and deal with it when the time comes.

"So you're really leaving?" questions Granny, standing by Alexander.

Odile nods. "Yes, I am."

"His Majesty's not gonna be too happy about this," Alexander sighs, irritated.

"He's a big boy, he'll get over it."

"Not if he's six feet under."

"Alexander."

"Yeah, yeah. He promised. I get it. I hope you're right."

Odile smirks, "I usually am."

This takes him aback but he let outs a loud laugh, shaking his head. Odile smiles to herself, pushing herself up and away from the fence. She stumbles a little but Kurogane grabs her left arm, steadying her. His hand slips down to her wrist and stays there. She looks up at him but finds him looking at Alexander, his brow furrowed, annoyed. She looks to Alexander from the corner of her eye. He looks to Kurogane with a smirk on his face. She bites her lip, trying not to speak or smile.

Alexander tilts his head to the side. "You better keep her safe," he says to Kurogane, crossing his arms over his chest.

"I don't need you telling me that," Kurogane snaps back, his grip on Odile's wrist tightening ever so slightly.

"Obviously, I do."

Kurogane's jaw tightens and his eyes narrow.

"That's enough," Odile says with an irritated sigh. "I don't need protecting," she says, facing Alexander. "I just need saving," she adds, looking up at Kurogane. "End of discussion."

Kurogane looks down at her, upset. Odile ignores his stare and smiles, pulling on her hand still held by him. Kurogane loosens his grip, allowing Odile to interlace her fingers with his.

"You two are so adorable!" sings Fai throwing his arms into the air, dancing around to the other side of Kurogane.

"Lovey dovey!" adds Mokona.

"Shut up!" Kurogane barks, his fingers going nowhere.

The wizard and the creature giggle and Granny joins in with a laugh of her own. Alexander snickers and comments on Odile being one helluva straight forward woman.

"You better hurry back, You Highness," Alexander adds.

"Again with the formal talk," Odile sighs.

"It's only proper."

"And again with what's proper. Then I ask, Sir Alexander, do I have your loyalty to look forward to when I return?"

He gives no second thought to his answer. "Of course you do, Your Highness," he replies, kneeling down on one knee, one fist on the ground and other over his heart. "I swear my loyalty you, Crown Princess Odile Komarov, upon your ascension to the throne of the country of Rojus as Queen. Know that, in me, you have an unwavering ally."

Odile smiles, nodding, satisfied. "Good," she says. "I'm counting on your loyalty."

Alexander stands, straightening himself. "And I'm counting on you to keep your promise."

Odile nods, well aware that he's referring to her promise with Nicolai. "That's something you need not worry over." Alexander nods and Odile turns to face Granny.

"Hmmm?" the elderly woman goes.

"I wanted to thank you again for all you've done for me," Odile says, bowing deeply.

Granny gasps. "Oh, no!" she coos. "Please, Your Majesty! There no need for you to bow for a little old woman like me!"

Odile doesn't move, though her back screams for her to do so. "I would only bow to a little old woman such as yourself," Odile replies. "I truly am grateful to you, Nina. I am in your debt." She straightens herself and smiles.

Granny smiles brightly. "You really are something else, Your Majesty. To think someone of your class to be this modest."

Odile shakes her head. "Please, don't use such titles. I'm not Queen yet and I gave up my title as Crown Princess when I left."

Granny nods, understanding. Putting her hands on her hips, she sighs. "Well, if all of you are leaving, it's not going to on an empty stomach," she says, not taking no for an answer.

Fai cheers and Mokona joins him, singing that Granny's cook is really good.

After a proper meal provided by Granny, the five travelers plus Mokona now stand outside the front door, in new clothes also provided by Granny. There old clothes are in a bag over Kurogane's shoulder along with the bounty he and Fai earned in Yama. The currency of Yama is worthless in Essen and Granny rejects Odile's promise to repay her when she returns. Granny claims that the work her friends did is more than enough but Odile makes a mental note to pay Nina a visit after she returns.

Alexander says his goodbyes. He bows to the princess and Odile. He ruffles a hand thorugh Syaoran's hair. He shakes Fai's hand and pats Mokona on the head. He gives Kurogane a smirk and a nod of the head.

Granny follows suit, bowing her head to each traveler. "Travel safely," she elderly woman says. "May the protection of the Goddess be with you."

"And with you," Odile says, bowing her head in return.

"Bye!" coos Mokona, jumping up into the air. Just like every other time, the white bunny creature grows feathery wings and Yuko's magic circle forms underneath the travelers. As Mokona opens its month, Kurogane wraps his free arm around Odile's waist. She blushes lightly but smiles, looking up at him from the corner of her eye. He looks down at her with a smirk. Wind rushes around them and soon the colors of dimension travel over take them.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: And we're done with the RojusEssen arc! Now on to Piffle! The next chapter should be on Friday, August 10th.

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and that it answered some questions.

Please review/comment!


	93. Piffle I

Piffle I

Anna releases a yawn. Covering her left hand over her mouth, she releases another. She hasn't been getting much sleep lately, more so than usual. Her shoulder has been bothering her to the point that the pain keeps her awake at night. She sets her elbow in spine of the book to hold her place as she pinches the bridge of her nose, fighting back a headache.

Her shoulder is starting to become a major problem for her. She could use her hand before but now it's in constant pain with pins and needles and her elbow is sore for lack of movement. She can't sleep because of it all and her head hurts as a result. Having looked in the mirror this morning, she noticed that her skin is paler than usual and the dark around her eyes has increased. In the mix of it all, she's lost her appetite, always feeling light headed and sick to the stomach. She recalls standing inside a bus next to Kurogane on her right side. The bus jumped and she bumped into him on accident but she yelped in pain. He tried to comfort her but she flinched under his touch as pain coursed through her arm. She didn't mean to. However, now he's careful not to touch her, not with his hands anyway. Anna finds it upsetting, preferring to be held by him when their kissing but she doesn't complain. He's doing it for her sake, probably thinking that she'll shatter under the slightest pressure. So she can't really be upset about it.

"Are you all right, Wifey-chan?" Fai asks, leaning over the table get a better look at her.

With a sigh, she drops her hand from her nose and turns the page of the manual. "Yes, I'm fine," she answers.

"You've barely touched your breakfast," he observes, pointing to her plate. The pancakes sit untouched but the eggs and sausage are half eaten.

"I thought we went over this," she sighs, not looking at him but staying concentrated on the book. "I'm not a breakfast person."

"Hmmm," Fai nods, thinking for a moment. "But that's not the only reason is it?"

Looking up at him, she sighs. "It's my shoulder," she confesses. "But I'm fine. Pease don't concern yourself with it." She sits at a table under an umbrella in a whole in world. Kurogane and the princess work on the flying machine called a dragonfly only a few feet from the table. Mokona sits atop Sakura's head, directing based on Anna's instructions. Syaoran is still in bed, to everybody's surprise. It was decided to let the boy sleep. He needs his rest.

Her eyes wander to the world around, unlike any other they've been to so far. This world is called Piffle. The buildings reach high into the sky with a smooth and rounded architecture to them. Dragonflies fly around the skyscrapers. Screen displaying moving pictures fly around as well. The ground is just as bustling as the air. Wheeled people movers called cars race along streets filled with people. After a series of events, and with Kurogane and Fai's bounty money, the travelers were able to find a place for living for an extended period of time. A flying screen catches her eye. It displays the princess's feather.

"You know," he says, drawing Anna's attention. "This world may have a way to fix what couldn't be Healed."

"It's all right," she replies. She gives him a smile with her eyes closed and teases, "I'm a big girl; I can suck it up." When Fai doesn't reply, Anna opens her eyes and sighs, dropping her smile. "I don't wish to be bother."

Fai nods, understanding. After a moment, he pushes himself from the table and stretches his arms above his head. "Well, we can't let this food go to waste now can we?" He smiles, picking up the plate and waving to Kurogane.

Anna tenses, ready for whatever scolding she'll receive from Kurogane for not eating her meal. Again.

"Oh, Kurgie Pie!" Fai coos, a hand cupped around his mouth. "Wifey-chan didn't finish her breakfast. You want it?"

"You've gotta be kidding me," Kurogane groans, turning away from the flier that looks like a round bird of some kind. It's the one that the princess will be flying. He catches eye contact with Anna, who looks down at the manual again, biting her lip. She can feel his eyes narrow at her. "You didn't eat dinner last night either."

"Or the night before!" Mokona cuts in. "Or the night before that! And the night before that!"

"I'm just not that hungry," she says, brushing her fingers through her bangs. The silver bangle jingles, now alone as her hair tie is in her hair where it belongs. She didn't put it there, however. She found it rather difficult to put her hair up herself with only one hand. The princess or Fai usually helps her tie her hair back.

"But you've barely eaten a thing, Anna-san," the princess adds, stepping away from the dragonfly.

"Your arm is bothering you that much, huh?" Kurogane mumbles more or less to himself. He stands and walks over to the table where she sits. With his hands on his hips, he frowns. He's irritated for multiple reasons. "It's your shoulder, right?" he demands.

She opens her mouth to say that she's fine but the look in his eyes stops her. She releases a dark chuckle, nodding her head. "Yes, it is."

"Why didn't you say something sooner?"

"I didn't see any reason to. I was, and still am, dealing with my shoulder just fine. I'm only saying something now because I'm sick and tired of everyone asking me if I'm all right."

Kurogane's eyebrow twitches but he doesn't say anything.

"Anna-san…" the princess goes, her voice barely above a whisper.

With a sigh, Anna faces the girl and gives her a smile. "There's nothing to worry about, Princess. Now, about the problem with the flier…" Leaning over the manual she points out that they need a replacement BNQ3. Kurogane sighs and looks over the picture of the part. He explains that the one in the flier now looks fine. Anna explains that there is something wrong inside of it seeing as several other perfectly fine parts aren't working because they are connected to this one part. Kurogane nods in understanding, seeing how that works. Sakura follows and so does Fai and Mokona.

This is how it's been since they got the four dragonflies. Since Anna can't take part in the race or any form of manual labor, she reads the manuals and repair books and directs the repairs and reconstructions. She read all the books within two days and they started working on the third. The others tried to read the books as well but only Syaoran and Kurogane seemed to understand, the boy more so than the ninja. Anna's surprised the she can make sense of all the numbers and such. However, what surprised her even more was that the store had copies of the materials in many different languages, including one identical to Rojustic.

"Well," ponders Fai, "With Syaoran-kun still in bed, Kuro Kuro will have to go get it. You can take the car."

"Fine," Kurogane grumbles.

"Ah!" goes the princess. "I'd like to go with."

"Yeah, sure," Kurogane says, taking the car keys from the table. Anna recalls going over the driving manual with Kurogane before getting the car. Even though they got a copy in a language like Japanese, Anna still had to read one to help him better understand all the rules, regulations, and workings of the machine. He caught on fast enough that Anna didn't really need to help but it was like he wanted her to anyway.

Kurogane steps around the table nearer Anna. Leaning down to her, he kisses her on the forehead, brushing her bangs out of the way to do so. "Be back in a bit," he mumbles. He leans away and looks her in the eye. Anna flinches but gives him a weak smile.

"I wish all of you wouldn't worry so much," she whispers, her gaze sad and her words almost pleading.

"You know damn well that ain't gonna happen."

She nods with a sigh, giving him another smile. "See you when you get back," she says. Kurogane frowns, standing back up straight. He nods towards the princess and they head out, the girl waving goodbye on the way. Anna watches them pull away before looking to Mokona who sits on the table. She smiles at the creature. "I think it's time to wake Syaoran," she says.

"Leave it to Mokona!" the creature coos, jumping from the table to the mobile home they've currently taken residence in.

As soon as Mokona is out of ear shot, Fai takes position leaning on the table again. "We're all worried about you, Wifey-chan," he says, a smile on his lips.

"Sometimes I wonder if you really are, Fai," she replies, looking over the words of the manual. Her words take him by surprise but he does well enough not to let it show. "I've come to think that the reason you smile all the time is different from why I smile like I do. I do it to tell people I'm fine even when I'm not. I believe you smile and act like you do because you want to push everyone away." She recalls one of her visions. She strongly believes that the blonde hair man with the eye patch was Fai. She doesn't know who the little boy in his arms is but she was her theories. "I believe that you act like you're always happy when really you're that most unhappy of us all." She looks up at him, giving him a half hearted smile. "I don't except you to reply," she says. "I'm not the type to pry. I just wanted you to know what's been on my mind." She looks up at him then as he smiles down at her, eyes closed. Anna chuckles lightly. She explains that there are things that she wants to know but she's in no position to demand such things.

"Even with Kurogane?" Fai questions, opening his eyes.

"Even more so with Kurogane," she says. "I won't push him, or you, to tell me something that you don't want to or are not ready to. It wouldn't mean anything unless you tell me of your own accord." And this is the truth. This is what she really thinks thought it bothers her that Kurogane knows everything about her and she knows nothing about him. She sighs, annoyed with her thoughts. She's already been over this. She can wait for him, as long as it takes, even if he never does. Then again… A thought crosses her mind and her gaze saddens. With a sigh, she shakes her head and the thought away.

"Good morning," Syaoran says, stepping out of the mobile home, Mokona on his head. Anna turns in her seat to face them, giving the boy a smile.

"Morning!" coos Mokona.

"Morning," Fai sings back.

When the boy reaches the table, Mokona jumps from Syaoran to Fai. "Mokona woke Syaoran up!" Mokona sings.

"What a good Mokona!" Fai coos, kissing the creature on the cheek.

"I'm sorry that I slept in," Syaoran says.

"Think nothing of it," Anna replies. "You were probably exhausted."

"Syaoran is always trying the hardest, right?" sings Mokona.

"Right," says Fai.

Syaoran smiles faintly and looks around. "Where's the Princess and Kurogane-san?" he asks.

"Out shopping," Fai exaplains. "We were short a couple parts for the fliers."

Just as he finishes his words, one of the fly moving picture screens stops near them to replay an advertisement. On the screen is a flier and the words "Dragonfly Race." Anna can't read it of course but that's what they were told it says. The screen changes to display one of the princess's feathers. This world believes it to be a battery with an amazing amount of energy, more than enough to power this entire city for a life time and then some.

"After all, the first prize is one of Sakura-chan's feathers," says Fai.

_It's a dangerous race and yet Ms. Sakura still wishes to participate_, Anna thinks. Anna read that the race is a hybrid race, meaning that though the fliers use electricity, their main power source is the wind. The controls on such fliers are easy to learn, however crashes are more frequent depending on the weather, which can change quickly. Anna had offered for the girl to stay on the side with her but the princess insisted that she race along with Syaoran, Fai, and Kurogane. Mokona had said that it would stay and keep Anna company but Anns talked the white creature into riding with the princess instead.

After Syaoran eats some breakfast, he and Fai get working on a flier with the parts they have. Anna stands near, book in hand.

Fai points to one of the screens in the pilot seat, asking her a question. Anna kneels on the wing, balancing herself with her left arm, to get a better look. She explains what the problem can possibly be and various ways to fix it. They try three before the problem is fixed.

Syaoran stands from his position on the ground, wiping sweat from his brow with the back of his forearm. He looks up at the sky and Fai comments at how strange Piffle is.

"Boxes are flying in the sky," Fai says, "And more are running on the ground."

"But it's a peaceful country," Anna adds.

Syaoran nods in agreement. "Especially in the way they don't seem to have any big fights in public," he says.

"Yeah," says Fai. "The countries of Shura and Yama were pretty for that, huh?"

Syaoran's face tenses then and he frowns.

As Mokona says something to the boy, Fai looks to Anna from the corner of his eye. She nods, understanding.

She lets out s deep breath. "I think it's time for a drink break," she says, smiling widely. "Care to help me in the kitchen, Mokona?"

"Of course!" coos Mokona. The white creature jumps from Syaoran's head to Anna's and the two head to kitchen. Mokona acts as Anna's right hand while preparing iced tea for the four of them. At the sink, Anna looks out the window to see the wizard talking with the boy. He's still bothered with what happened in Shura/Shara and Yama, changing the countries' history.

Once she believes their conversation is over, she readies the drinks on a tray, with Mokona's help of course.

The ground rumbles and Anna looks out the window. Mokona does as well. A mobile home like the one they're in plus dozens of cars races towards them.

"Looks like we have guests!" Mokona coos.

Anna chuckles softly and looks down at the creature. "I think we'll need more cups," she says.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I'm so sorry this chapter is a week late! But you guys must be used to it by now... Anyway. I move out and start university in two weeks and have a lot to do to get ready so I'm not sure if the next chapter will be next week or the week after, but it will be either I those weeks I hope.<p>

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review/chapter.


	94. Piffle II

Piffle II

Looking at the trays, Anna counts in her head. "I think we're good to go," Anna says, a smile on her face.

Fai chuckles with his eye closed, impressed by the number of glasses of iced tea they poured. Syaoran nods and grabs one of the large, round trays of glasses. It takes him a moment to check his balance but he soon gives Anna a reassuring smile. Anna smiles back.

"Mokona wants to help too!" the white creature coos.

"Of course!" sings Fai. He grabs Mokona and sets it on Anna's head. The white creature looks down at her, grinning, and she looks up at it, smiling with her eyes closed. "You can help Wifey-chan serve these," Fai says, grabbing the smallest of the three trays. Reaching up, he gives the tray to Mokona, who then holds it above its self. Anna reaches her left arm up to help Mokona keep balance. "And I'll take these," Fai smiles, taking the last and largest tray. He leads the way out of the kitchen and out the front door.

Looking around, Anna notes all the women in black outfits. They all wear dark glasses and keep excellent poker faces. They surround the little table with the umbrella. On the other side of that sits the two dozen cars that they arrived in. A larger vehicle about the same size as the traveler's current home sits in the center of them all.

Anna glances at the table before walking around it to the stoic guests. First she notes the cause of all this; a girl about the same age as Sakura. She sits with the princess at the table. Her hair is long and black with a slight wave to it. Her skin is fair and her eyes are familiar. Anna recognizes her from a couple of her visions. She wonders who she is. She notes that Kurogane is increasingly upset by the guest's presence. Kurogane sits at the table with the girls but with his back turned to them. Anna looks away before he can look up at her.

Heading into the crowd of women, Anna smiles and offers them iced tea. Their stoic masks melt and they smile in thanks. Each takes a glass, emptying the tray. Mokona hands the empty tray down to Anna. As they head back to the table, Fai walks up next to them, a few glasses left on his tray. He smiles and asks Mokona to help serve those at the table. Mokona squeals in delight and jumps from Anna's head to his shoulder. Fai sends a smile in Anna's direction and she returns it.

Anna watches as Mokona hands out glasses of tea to the guest, the princess, and the ninja.

"Mokona helped out with the iced tea too!" Mokona sings, happy to help.

The guest claps her hands and smiles. "Well, isn't that just wonderful of you!" she coos, pleased. "But isn't it amazing what they can do with robots these days!" She looks up as to address all her hosts. "The people of your country must have some of the best scientists around."

Anna smiles, shrugging her left shoulder, since she can't move her right. She doesn't see the need in correcting her, and Fai doesn't either since he only giggles in reply.

The guest looks down at Mokona and smiles. She reaches out a hand and Mokona shakes it. "I wish my company could build something like this," she says.

"Company?" questions the princess.

"Oh, no!" exclaims the guest. "I must be forgetting my manners. My name is Tomoyo Daitoji. I'm the president of the Piffle Princess Corporation."

"The president?"

"The most important person!" sings Mokona.

_Most important person, huh? _Anna thinks. She looks around again at the suited women. _They must be her bodyguards of some kind then._ Anna also recognizes the name of the company as the same as the name of the country. Then the girl's name hits her. "Tomoyo," she whispers to herself. Shock crosses her facial features and she moves her hand over her mouth, casting her eyes down. She forces herself not to look up at Kurogane. She's Tomoyo. As in Kurogane's princess, the one who forced him on this journey. She's not at all angry about this fact, after all if she hadn't then Anna would never have met him. But all that explains why he's acting so differently. Anna drops her hand from her mouth and wraps it around her stomach, suddenly feeling a little ill. He's acting strange around her. He's quiet, more so than usual. He's never been like this before. She can't help but wonder what he's thinking. She chances a glance at the girl. She's cute. She seems nice, polite, well put together. In contrast, Anna's falling apart at the seams. Tomoyo seems like the better choice.

Her thoughts hit her little a boulder falling from a cliff overhead. She grips the fabric of her top tightly, trying to keep composure of herself. She looks at her feet, ashamed at her thoughts. There's no need for her to compare herself to Princess Tomoyo, right?

"You all right there, Wifey-chan?" Fai whispers, leaning in closer to her.

Anna's startled by him. She was aware of him standing next to her but somehow forgot. She nods her head and whispers back, "Yes. I'm fine."

Fai smiles and nods before turning to face the girl again. "Please allow me to introduce us," she says, grinning. "I'm Fai and this is Anna. That is Syaoran and you've already met Sakura-chan, Mokona, and Kurger Burger."

Tomoyo nods with a smile. "Please to meet all of you."

"Piffle Princess," Syaoran ponders. "That wouldn't be the same company as the race…"

Tomoyo nods. "Yes," she says. "My company is the main sponsor." She looks around to the Dragonflies. "Are all of you entering?"

"All but Anna-san," Fai answers, gesturing to Anna's right arm.

Tomoyo nods with a light frown. "That looks like quite the injury."

Anna smiles but shakes her head. "I'm managing," she says simply.

Tomoyo tilts her head to the side and gives Anna a light smile. "Have you had it looked at properly by a doctor? I can get you an appointment with a great physician. I'm sure there's something the medicine of Piffle can do to help you." The girl smiles.

Her words take Anna aback. Anna shakes her head, prepared to decline the offer but Fai speaks first.

"That's so very kind of you, Tomoyo-san!" Fai coos, linking his arm around Anna's left. "We humbly accept your offer." He grins with his eyes closed. Anna opens her mouth to protest but is cut short by him. "Don't we, Kurgie?"

Anna looks up at him now and finds him looking at her, a mixture of emotions on his gaze. "Yeah," he says. "We do."

"But that's—" Anna says.

Tomoyo chuckles, cutting Anna short once again. "Please, Ms. Anna. It's not a problem. I'll make an appointment for you for tomorrow how does that sound?"

"Perfect!" Fai answers. "And her sweet little Kruggie Pie with go with."

"What was that?!" Kurogane barks at him. Fai only chuckles in reply.

Tomoyo chuckles and says, "And don't worry about the expense. I'll take care of that."

"You'd really do that, Tomoyo-san?" Sakura exclaims.

Tomoyo nods with a smile. "Of course. I'd like to help in any way I can."

Anna sighs, giving in. She'd rather not but Fai's words cross her mind. _This world may have a way to fix what couldn't be Healed. _The more she thinks of it, the more she becomes aware of the coursing pain in her arm. She winces a little and closes her eyes to the spinning the world is doing. She nods and agrees to go. She doesn't want to get her hopes up but what harm is there is going? She has already come to term with becoming a lefty and if there is something they can do, great. Anna decides to change the subject. "Ms. Daitoji," she says, "Will you be entering the race by chance?"

Tomoyo shakes her head. "No, I won't be. As sponsor, I'm not allowed to." She frowns then takes a deep breath. She gives a wide grin that startles everyone, even Kurogane and the bodyguards. "But I can't resist the Dragonfly Race! Or the magnificent prize, either! So, from the moment the checkered flag is waved, I want to record the whole thing! And for that-!" The girl stands and takes the princess's hands in hers. "I need my heroine to make her debut appearance in the race! And that's you Sakura-chan!"

"Me?" the princess questions, confused.

"Yes! You, Sakura, will you please allow me to record you in the race?" Tomoyo asks, excited.

The princess stammers a little but agrees, causing Tomoyo to squeal in delight. The two girls stand and Tomoyo leads them in a bow.

Anna chuckles softly and shakes her head. This was a vision of hers. This confirm s her thoughts, and what Yuko told her. She soon changes course of her thoughts. Looking to Kurogane from the corner of her eye, she notes how startled he is at Tomoyo's display of excitement.

Anna train of thought is soon halted by the suggestion of Sakura demonstrating her flier abilities. After a few modest protests, the girl agrees and boards her flier, everything moving in order to get out of the way and watch. All the while, Fai keeps his arms linked with Anna's. She's grateful for this fore she's feeling lightheaded and afraid she may stumble over herself.

The princess boards her flier and starts the engine, ready to take off. She pulls up and glides for a short distance. Soon the engine starts to puff and the flier clumsily comes floating back down. Syaoran shouts and runs after her.

"I hope Sakura-chan is all right," chuckles Fai.

Anna smiles, shaking her head. "I'm sure she's fine," she says. "She's too lucky to get hurt from such a soft landing."

Fai laughs and nods his head.

"She's so cute!" Tomoyo squeals. "Even when she takes a tumble!"

After making sure the princess is all right, which she is, Tomoyo and her bodyguards take their leave. Feeling a little better, Anna tries to pull her arm free from Fai. He doesn't let her but leads her to the table instead, where he makes her take a seat. Anna's too tired to protest.

"How are you feeling, Anna-san?" the princess asks, concerned.

Anna smiles. "I should be asking you that," she replies. "You're the star of a show. Are you excited?"

Sakura nods. "And a little nervous."

"If you weren't then I'd be worried. You'll do fine because it's you're feather you're going after."

"I wish you were racing with us, Anna-san, but your arm…"

Anna shakes her head. "It's better this way." She smiles. "I'll cheer for all of you from the side lines."

"It's kind of Tomoyo-san to make an appointment for your arm," Syaoran says.

Anna nods but changes the subject. "We should probably get that part installed. We don't want the princess tumbling in the race because of a technical error now do we?"

Syaoran nods and it's agreed and he and Kurogane with Anna's guidance will install the part while Fai with the help of Sakura and Mokona make lunch. Anna tries her best to seem indifferent to the happenings only minutes before, preferring to focus on the task at hand.

After it gets dark outside, it's decided to call it quits for the day. However, Sakura insists that Syaoran help her review how to pilot her Dragonfly properly. The boy agrees and Mokona joins them.

As Fai works on something in the kitchen, Anna sits at the indoor dining table, looking over the manual for a solution to a newly discovered problem with said wizard's flier. Anna leans forward with her left hand keeping the book open on the table. She can feel Kurogane's eyes on her but she keeps her eyes on the text and her posture straight and seemingly relaxed. It isn't until she feels him look away that she looks up at him. She finds him standing by one of the rounded windows, looking out at the others.

With a reluctant sigh, Anna closes the book and leans her cheek against her left fist. Kurogane looks at her, drawn by her actions. Anna gives him a smile with her eyes closed. "So Tomoyo seemed nice," she says. "And she was pretty cute."

Her words startle him and he opens his mouth to reply but nothing comes out.

"Wifey-chan is cuter, though, right, Kuropo?" Fai sings, entering the room then with three bottles in his hands. He gives Kurogane a teasing smile that causes him to frown. It's at times like this that Anna's not sure if she happy Fai interrupted or not.

Before words can be said, Fai hands Kurogane a bottle of beer, stealing a peek out the window in the process. "Well, isn't that a heartwarming scene?" he giggles. He turns and takes steps towards the table, handing Anna a bottle of her own. Anna shakes her head to refusal of the beverage but Fai insists, saying that it'll help numb the pain of her injury. Anna nods in submission and takes it.

"Just don't get drunk," Kurogane grumbles.

Fai chuckles. "But Wifey-chan is so much fun when she's drunk!"

Kurogane barks at him and Anna chuckles, taking a light sip. It taste like metal and she's not keen on finishing it.

"Come to think of it," Fai says after a moment. He ponders a thought. "You were pretty heartwarming yourself this afternoon, Kuro Kuro." He gives Kurogane a smile as he circles around the table and takes a seat next to Anna. "Tomoyo-chan. She looks just like the princess in Kuro-tan's country, right?"

Kurogane says nothing but his eyebrow twitches.

"You were so quiet, even more so than usually, Kurgs. I think you were paying special attention to everything related to Tomoyo-chan. Seems to me that you have a little crush."

"Will you shut up!" Kurogane barks. He glances over at Anna as if expecting something but Anna doesn't react to Fai's words.

Anna shrugs her shoulder. "You have Princess Tomyo and I have Alexander," Anna says, indifferent. "So I guess we're even."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" he barks, causing Fai to chuckle.

She offers Kurogane a smile and he gives her a shocked expression. Anna sighs, shaking her head. "But that wasn't your Tomoyo," she says. "She looks like her but she's a different person."

"We see a lot of them, don't we?" Fai adds.

Kurogane's eyes narrow on Fai. "You still haven't met someone from your world, have you?" he says. "The one you constantly have to run from."

Fai smiles ever so slightly but it doesn't reach his eyes.

"They may have the same face but there's no saying if it's the same person or not."

Anna notices Fai's hand twitch. "I'll know," he says, his smile gone, his voice deep and serious.=. "If it's just the same face or of it's the same person. I'll know."

Without thinking twice, Anna reaches her left hand up and rests it atop Fai's. This startles both him and Kurogane and the wizard gives her a shocked face, which is soon replaced by his typical smile. Anna smiles in return, a genuine smile of reassurance.

A moment of silence passes before a familiar scream rips through the stale air. It's the princess but now one reacts. The bus shakes violently then, as if something ran into it from the side. Kurogane stumbles forward, Fai falls over the table, and Anna falls back along with her chair. She lets out a chuckle and grips her right arm tightly, trying to ignore the pulsing pain of pins and needles.

"Anna," Kurogane says, a little panicked. He walks over to her quickly and looks down at her. She gives him a wide smile and a chuckle.

"I'm fine," she says, rolling over to the left side. She uses her left hand to push herself up but struggles to get to her feet. To her surprise, it's Fai who helps her up. With one hand on her hip and another gently supporting her right arm, he guides her onto her feet and doesn't let go until she's steady. She looks up at him and smiles. "Thank you," she says. Turning to look at Kurogane, he looks away. She opens her mouth to speak but says nothing. Instead, she shakes her head and walks over to the open front door. The men follow and the three of them peer outside to find that the princess did indeed crash her flier into the side of the bus.

"I'm so sorry!" the princess exclaims, bow deeply and repeatedly.

Fai chuckles and says, "Sakura-chan, you're prettying exciting to be around!"

Kurogane groans and slaps his palm over his forehead. "Should we even be doing this?" he mumbles.

Anna chuckles and says, "It's getting late. Maybe we should all call it quits for the day." She smiles at the princesses. "We'll repair the flier in the morning and I think you'll have better luck practicing in day light."

The girl nods in agreement and so does Syaoran.

"You're so thoughtful, Wifey-chan!" Mokona coos, hopping over to her and onto her shoulder.

Anna smiles. "And who will Mokona be sleeping with tonight?"

"Ummm. Mokona will sleep with Fai tonight!"

"Yay!" Fai squeals, taking Mokona from Anna's shoulder. The two giggle and enter the bus house. Fai starts to reset the dining room and with a groan, Kurogane joins him. The princess and the boy enter the bus then, Sakura apologizing for the mess she caused. Anna tells her that it's fine and that she can head off to bed. The girl nods and walks up the spiral stair case to her room. Syaoran offers to help but Anna shoots him down, saying the Fai and Kurogane have it under control, he should go to bed. The boy tries to protest but Anna won't have it. Finally giving in with a sigh and a smile, Syaoran says his goodnights and head upstairs. Once all is set back up, Fai and Mokona wave goodnight and head upstairs as well.

With a sigh, Anna presses the large button by the door, closing it.

"About Princess Tomoyo," Kurogane says, his voice startling Anna.

She shakes her head and turns to face him. "There's no need to explain anything," she says.

He frowns. "It's not what you think."

She shakes her head again and fiddles with the hem of her shirt. "I'm sure it's not, I just…" She opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. She sighs and looks to her feet. Her insecurity gets the better of her. "Were the two of you ever…" She can't finish the thought.

Kurogane steps towards her and stop a foot or two in front of her. "She saved me and I served her. That's all." He reaches a hand under her chin, tilting her head up to look at him. "You're the first woman that I've ever felt this way about."

She sighs, closing her eyes. She's relieved but feels silly. What was there to worry about in the first place? She should've known better. And now they're even. He was jealous of Alexander and now she's jealous of Tomoyo. "I'm glad that's all cleared up," she says, opening her eyes. She smiles. "Now it's time to go to bed."

His eyebrow twitches but he says that he'll walk her to her room. Anna doesn't protest. The two head upstairs, Anna before Kurogane, and down the hall. They soon reach her room and she opens it. With her hand still on the knob, she turns and looks up at him. Right on cue, he leans down and presses his lips to hers.

He soon pulls away and says, "Goodnight."

She smiles. "Goodnight, Kurogane," she replies. He gives her a smirk and waits for her to close her door before heading to his own room. On the other side of the door, Anna presses her forehead to the door. She slides to the floor and turns to lean her back on the door. She flinches as a shock runs through her shoulder. She bites her lip and allows a tear to trace down her cheek. There's no way she'll be about to sleep like this.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: O. M. F. G. How many days has it been? Over a month right? I'm so so so so sorry that's it's taken this long to update! College sucks. Hard. And I miss my mommy! Anyway. Here's the next chapter FINALLY. I hope you enjoyed it and again I'm sorry about the wait. I think I've gotten in the swing of things here at university so hopefully I'll be able to get to a every two weeks schedule but I don't wanna make any promises I can't keep.<p>

Anyway. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review/comment. The more reviews/comments the more motivation I have to keep going! So please let me know what you think!


	95. Piffle III

Piffle III

Anna looks out the window, the images blur to streaks of color as the car races along, Kurogane behind the wheel. She didn't bother protesting, neither he nor Fai would've let her anyway. She told them not to get their hopes up, there's no guarantee that a doctor of Piffle will be able to fix her shoulder. Fai told her not to be so pessimistic.

The car slows as Kurogane turns into a parking lot. There is a very large and tall building Anna assumes is the hospital. He finds a spot, parks, and doesn't open the door. He says nothing and Anna doesn't either. Looking over at him, she finds him glaring at the window. He's tense.

"We don't have to do this if you don't want to," Anna whispers, a light smile on her lips.

"Huh?" Kurogane goes, turning to look at her. "I'm the one who should be saying that."

"Maybe so but I'm under the impression that I don't have a choice. I have to go but you don't have to. You can wait here if you want."

"And let you go alone? Not a chance."

She chuckles softly but it sounds too forced so she cuts herself short. She's nervous about this. She's nervous about letting some strange doctor look at her arm. Then she recalls the night before. She recalls how difficult it was for her to pick herself from the floor and how impossible it was to change in to her sleep dress. She's not sure how much longer she can live with her arm like this. At this point she wonders if just cutting the damn thing off would be better; not like it's of any use anyway. She'll contemplate that option if this appointment turns out to be a waste of time. She's nervous but she hopes the doctor can do something for her. But she's going to remain pessimistic until then.

"Come on, let's go," Kurogane says, pulling Anna from her thoughts. He opens his door and closes it before she can reply. Before she can react, he's opening her door. She smiles and exits the vehicle, stumbling as she does so. She falls forward into him and he catches her, careful of her shoulder. "You're pretty damn clumsy, you know that?" he says.

Anna nods her head with a laugh. "Yeah, I figured that out the hard way," she replies. She looks up at him and smiles. "But since you're here to catch me I don't see the problem."

Kurogane smirks, shaking his head. "Let's get going," he says, closing the door behind her. He turns and faces the building and Anna feels her stomach tighten. She reaches her left hand out in search of Kurogane's right, quickly finding it. He squeezes back lightly as they head for the building.

Inside the building, they find the lift to the 7th floor, just as Tomoyo directed. The president had sent instructions in the morning. Exiting the elevator, they walk up to the front counter and are greeted by an older woman, who asks Anna her name. After giving the woman her name, the woman responds with a nod and looks over a screen. The woman nods again and says that Ms. Tomoyo took care of the paper work already and that the nurse will be with them shortly.

"Thank you," Anna says with a shaky voice and a smile. Just as she and Kurogane turn from the counter, a young lady calls Anna's name. She gulps as she faces the nurse. The nurse's hair is brown and short. She wears a baggy blue patterned v-neck and loose pants.

"Nice to meet you, Anna," the nurse says. "My name is Lisa. How are you doing today?"

"All right," Anna says, smiling lightly. "And you?"

Lisa smiles. "Just fine, thank you." She looks up at Kurogane and she smiles with her eyes closed. "Is this your husband?"

Anna freezes and red floods her face. "Um, no," she answers. "But we are together. It is all right for him to join me, correct?"

The nurse chuckles with a smirk and nods her head. "Of course. Now please follow me."

Anna lets out a deep breath and looks up to Kurogane form the corner of her eye. He looks down at her and smirks. She blushes and looks away quickly, a smile tugging at her lips.

The couple follows after the nurse who leads them to a small room with medical equipment inside. "Okay, Anna," the nurse says. "I need you to remove your shoes and we'll take a couple measurements. Just standard procedure."

Anna nods and slips her shoes off. They are a kind of shoe that she can slip on and off without any assistance. She has Fai to thank for that. Tying shoes with one hand is very difficult.

As Anna stands on some kind of scale and nurse asks her a few questions. Her full name. Her age. Next the nurse measures her height and asks if Anna is taking any medications. Anna answers that she is not. After that, Anna sits and the nurse straps her left arm in a machine that will take her blood pressure.

"Tell me about your medical history," the nurse says, writing down notes as the machine squeezes Anna's are.

Anna is forced to think for a moment. "My medical history? Fairly healthy I think."

The nurse nods. "Any illness on either side of the family?"

Anna opens her mouth to speak but nothing comes out. She looks to the ground and frowns. She can feel Kurogane's eyes on her face but she doesn't look at him. "My mother and father were healthy. No chronic illnesses that I know of."

The nurse nods. "All right," she says, removing Anna's arm form the machine. "One last question." A grin grows across Lisa's face and she looks up to Kurogane.

Anna follows her gaze in confusion and catches eye contact with Kurogane. He shrugs his shoulders, just a clueless as she is.

"Are you sexually active, Anna?" the nurse asks.

Blood quickly rushes to Anna's cheeks and her breath catches in her throat. She looks away from Kurogane and to the group, heat burning her face. The nurse lets out a loud laugh. Anna slaps her left hand over her face, clearly embarrassed by the question and the nurse's reaction.

"This is standard procedure, huh?" Anna sighs, letting out a deep breath, her eyes closed and a blush still on her pale skin.

"Yep," answers the nurse, a chuckle still in her voice.

Anna shakes her head. "I am not."

The nurse pauses before replying, "All right. If you say so." She writes a few things down. "Now, your arm."

"Injured it the bone of my shoulder blade. I can't move my arm because of it."

The nurse nods and says that she will have to take an x-ray in order to see the real problem.

"X-ray?"

"Yeah. It will allow us to see your bones. It's pretty painless." The nurse smiles and then gestures to the door where Kurogane stands.

Anna stands and slips on her shoes and follows the nurse to the door. Kurogane moves out of the way and the nurse whispers something to him that causes him to blush. Passing him, Anna looks up at him questioningly but he just shakes his head. Anna chuckles and follows the nurse down the hall. The nurse leads them to a short hall with two changing rooms. She tells them to wait there for a moment. The nurse continues down the hall, turns the corner. After a long moment she comes back with a small bundle of cloth in her arms.

Handing the clothes to Anna, she says, "I need you to change into this. You can't wear any metal while I take the x-ray."

"Oh, um," Anna goes. She holds up her left wrist, showing the nurse the silver bangle that hangs there. "This doesn't come off."

The nurse nods and says, "That's all right. It's on the other hand so it should be okay. You can leave your ring on too. I just need you to take off your bra but since you're wearing a dress you need to change completely."

"All right, I understand. But I'm not wearing one at the moment." She explains that it is very difficult to pull the strap over her shoulder and clasp it. She leaves out how much it hurts to do so. She lets Fai help her with pulling her hair back she is not about to ask for help putting on a bra, not even from the princess. That is a line she doesn't want crossed.

The nurse nods and says, "That makes sense. In that case we can just head on in. Please follow me." She smiles and looks to Kurogane. "You'll have to wait here though. We'll be back in a little bit."

She can't bring herself to look at Kurogane as she passes him to follow the nurse farther down the hall.

Lisa leads Anna to a much larger room with another medical machine of some kind. It is made of long table and something that looks like a lamp. The nurse leads Anna to the table and says that she will need to lie down. It will be a bit uncomfortable but this will be quickly. Anna agrees and takes a sitting position on the table when the nurse walks up to her right.

"We have to remove your sling, though," the nurse says. "That okay?"

Anna is hesitant but complies, removing the sling herself. She gasps at the pain that follows as the weight of her arm pulls on her shoulder. Quickly but carefully, she lies back down.

The nurse walks around the machine to a place Anna can't see. She comes back with a black cloth that she places over Anna's eyes. "Try to hold as still as possible," the nurse says. There is a long moment of silence that is soon followed by a light hum.

Her mind can't help but wonder. What is the next step between her and Kurogane? She has an idea and that makes her blush. She thinks back to that night in Yama. If Fai had not walked in, how far would they have gone? How far is she willing to go? She doesn't want to admit it but it is a scary thought. She loves Kurogane, truly and deeply, but what about his feelings for her? She has heard of men leaving shortly after the woman gives herself. Kurogane doesn't seem like the type to do such a thing but Anna doesn't really know that much about him at all. His feelings for her can't be purely physical though. She can tell that he cares for her. He worries about her. He wants to protect her. She feels like a fool for doubting his feelings so she moves to a different thought. Their relationship will have to end sooner or later. When the bracelet breaks, she will return to Rojus and be forced to part ways with everyone, including Kurogane. Why give herself to a man she might not ever see again after this journey? Then again, why not? She curses her confusion.

The hum disappears, ending Anna's thoughts. After a moment of silence, the nurse removes the cloth from Anna's eyes and gives her a smile. "All done," the nurse says.

Anna smiles back.

The nurse helps Anna sit up and replace the sling. The nurse leads her back to Kurogane and motions for them to follow her to yet another room. The room is smaller than the last and there is very minimal furniture. There is a hospital bed, a couple chairs, and what Anna believes is the doctor's area. There is a desk with a chair and on the desk is what is called a computer.

The nurse tells Anna to take a seat on the bed and that the doctor will be with them shortly.

As soon as the nurse leaves and closes the door behind her, Kurogane releases a loud sigh. Anna watches him take his usual position leaning against the wall. He looks at her but she averts her eyes before making contact with his.

"Something wrong?" he asks, his voice deep with a mixture of concern and irritation.

She shakes her head. "Everything's fine," she answers.

"You sure about that?" Anna can hear the frown in his voice.

She opens her mouth but nothing comes out. The room falls silent and she knows that this upsets him but she can't come up with anything to say.

The silence is broken when the door opens. A man in a white coat enters with a light smile on his lips. He is an older gentleman with light gray hair and glasses. He holds a large paper envelope under his arm. "Hello," he says, walking over to Anna. "I'm Dr. Ishikawa." He puts a hand out for her to take, she does, and they shake. "You must be Anna. A pleasure to meet you."

"Likewise, Doctor," Anna says with a smiles.

The doctor turns and faces Kurogane. "And you are?"

"Kurogane," the grumpy ninja answers, casting his eyes at Anna, who looks away with a blush on her cheeks.

The doctor nods and walks to the other side of the bed. Opening the envelope, he pulls out a black and blue sheet of some clear substance. He clips it on to a board on the wall. He clicks something on the side and the black and blue sheet lights up to reveal a picture of Anna's shoulder. She does not react to what she sees there. There is a perfect hole in her right scapula.

"Well, Ms. Anna," the doctor says, looking over the picture. "You have quite the wound here. There is an inch wide hold in your shoulder blade. I suspect that the muscle around the area is also severely damaged." He looks to her now, pushing his glasses up. "Mind telling me how this happened?"

Anna was dreading having to explain her injury but she does not let her discomfort show on her face. She keeps her features neutral. "An accident," she replies simply.

"An accident you say?" The doctor thinks for a moment, his eyes drifting to Kurogane. "And what kind of accident would this be?"

"The kind that results in a hole in the shoulder."

This takes the doctor aback. He frowns but Anna hears Kurogane chuckle. The doctor quickly composes himself and says, "Kurogane, was it? Could you please give us a moment alone?"

"There is no need for that," Anna replies, finally looking to Kurogane from the corner of her eye. He looks at her with a questioning look. She smiles crookedly and looks back at the doctor. She takes a deep breath and releases it. "I fell on a stray pipe. There. I said it. I'm clumsy, I know. It was an accident. I didn't mean to trip on my own two feet."

This takes the doctor farther aback than her last comment. It takes him a longer moment to compose himself but he does so with a cough. "Well, then," he says, pushing his glasses up. "There is a way to repair the damage. There is a quick organic implant that can fill in the hole on your scapula and we can also repair your muscle fibers while we're at it."

His words hang in the air as they slowly sink in. He can fix her shoulder? This can't be.

"Will she be able to use her arm like she used to?" Kurogane asks, leaning away from the wall to stand.

The doctor nods. "More or less, yes. It will take some time for her body to get used to it but she won't have to wear that sling after everything is said and done."

"We'll do it," Kurogane says.

"Kurogane!" Anna barks, looking towards him, shock and confusion clear on her face.

"I'll give you two a moment to talk it over," says the doctor, exiting the room quickly.

"Kurogane," Anna whispers, unsure.

"Something needs to be done about your shoulder and this is it. Don't even dare protest."

"But—"

"I don't wanna hear it."

She opens her mouth but he narrows his eyes at her. She sighs and shakes her head with a light smile. "I was never one for taking orders until I met you," she says.

"I'm not ordering you."

"But you're not letting me say no either."

Kurogane opens his mouth but says nothing. He groans and runs a hand through his hair, stepping closer to the hospital bed. He looks down at her and she looks up at him, a light smile on her face. He frowns. "I don't like seeing you in pain," he says, "especially when there's a way to stop it."

His words make her smile and she nods her head. "All right," she says. "But only because you asked nicely."


	96. Piffle IV

Piffle IV

Anna falls back into the couch with a sigh. She grips a coffee cup with both hands and a smile. It has been four days since the surgery. She has refrained from healing her shoulder after the surgery in order for it to heal naturally. On the other hand, the doctor said that the treatment, or rather an injection he gave her after the surgery, will speed up the healing process, thus the short healing period.

Her shoulder is still a little sore but the doctor said that was to be expected. And thanks to the surgery, she can use her arm more or less like before. She can't lift it over her head yet but she can lift it at a 90 degree angle in front of herself. Overall, the surgery was successful and that makes her happy.

She can remember when she stopped wearing the sling. She had gone down stairs and found Kurogane in the kitchen and the others outside with the fliers. Anna walked up to him from behind and wrapped her arms around his middle.

"Hey," he said, looking over his shoulder at her.

She loosened her grip enough for him to turn around and face her. "Hey," she said, looking up at him. He smirked at her before wrapping his arms around her in return. She smiled as she listened to the beating of his heart.

She was so happy to be able to hold him after so long. He seemed to enjoy it too.

Anna no longer wears a sling but she does wear a shoulder wrap. It straps across her chest and under her left arm. It is not the most comfortable thing in the world but it's all right. It keeps her from straining her arm too much. She was told to wear it day and night, to refrain from taking is off. She's had to take bath with keeping her shoulder out of the water, washing the rest of herself with a rag. Washing her hair has been difficult but she was managed.

Anna's thoughts are interrupted as the logo for the Dragonfly race comes across the TV screen. Being in worlds like this, she can't help but wonder if such technology is in Rojus's future. She shakes the thought from her head and focuses on the screen. The race is in two parts, something the travelers were unaware of before. First there is a preliminary race to determine who will participate in the second, final race. Tomoyo had offered Anna the opportunity to watch the race with her but Anna declined. She has nothing against Tomoyo, she is grateful for her helping her with her shoulder but Anna would rather watch the race in the safety of the bus house rather than atop of some flying lion thing. Now that she thinks about it, she's glad she's not in the race. She's starting to think that she has issues with height. Standing on the balconies is the palace always did make her more nervous than it should.

"Okay everyone!" yells a man on the TV. "The race is starting! The Dragonfly Race!"

Anna is not worried about the race. Her hopefulness is reinforced by a vision she had before her surgery. She frowns at the thought. She had two very different visions only seconds apart, one more positive than the other. She closes her eyes and wonders if it is possible to force a vision. Something in the back of her head tells her that that is a bad idea. She sighs.

The announcer continues to speak. "Now the contestants are making their last preparations to do their best for the magical prize that awaits them! But if they cannot make it to the top 20 in the preliminaries, they cannot continue on to the finals!"

She also wonders if there is a theme to her visions. Some are good and others are bad. Some are significant events and others are minor events. Her visions don't seem to be a connected by subject matter at all. Then again, all her visions seem to include one of her travel companions as the main character. She decides not to dwell on the thought.

Anna returns to the screen. There are many familiar faces among the other contestants such as the people they met in Hanshin and Oto, including Ora. There are even some from Jade and Koryo. The one face, however, that draws Anna's attention over the others is that of one man. His hair is wavy and bright red. _Father, _she thinks, a smile growing across her face.

"All right!" yells the race announcer. "Everyone! Thanks for waiting! The race is about to begin!"

Anna keeps her eyes on her companions as much as the screen will allow, noting that Mokona is riding with the princess.

Tomoyo waves a black and white checkered flag and the race commences. The young lady stands atop a float lion like creature that is rather bloated looking, like a balloon.

As soon as the race begins, the princess stumbles controlling her flier. Anna chuckles and leans forward, setting her cup on the coffee table and her head in her left hand. The princess soon regains control. Syaoran races alongside her. _They make a cute pair,_ Anna thinks.

As the race continues, "Tsubame" and "Kuro-tan" catch up to the front runners. Anna chuckles out loud at the names Fai gave himself and Kurogane. Sakura and Syaoran fall behind but Anna's smile does not waver.

Syaoran breaks off from the princess and heads to the front. Anna smiles and says, "She knows she has to give him a fair chance. Good girl."

"What's this?!" the announcer says. "A sudden windstorm?!"

Anna eyes the screen and watches as the racers struggle against a growing stream of wind. Something about it bothers Anna but she quickly shakes the feeling away as many racers lose control of their fliers and are forced to forfeit. Syaoran and the other two men do well to steer away from the wind and keep control of their fliers. The princess, however, does well to fly around the wind as if she can see it. Anna wonders about the girl's power then. The feathers are extremely powerful alone but they are fragments of the princess. Wouldn't that lead one to believe that she once had tremendous magical power?

"That was amazing!" the announcer sings. "The new entry, 'Wing Egg Go,' does a spectacular turn in midair!"

Anna chuckles and claps her hands together, smiling widely. _Wonderful_, she thinks.

Just then, lights and cameras focus on Tomoyo. The young lady holds up a glass orb. Is side the orb is the princess's feather.

"Our championship prize!" the announcer explains. "The energy battery!" A light shines from the orb. "That light indicates the preliminary race's goal! So! Who will be the one to win this battery!?"

Anna leans against her knees and puts her head in her left hand. "I could tell you but that would spoil things, now, wouldn't it?" Anna says, teasing the TV screen. She chuckles at herself.

The race continues and the fliers head to the finish line, some ahead of other of course. Kurogane and Fai are in the leading group while Syaoran speeds to join them. The princess on the other hand is further in the back.

"OH!" goes the announcer, drawing Anna's attention. "Somebody has suddenly zoomed forward and is ahead by a wide margin! This sudden aggressive appearance is made by the Kuro-tan!"

"GET RID OF THAT STUPID NAME!" Kurogane screams.

Anna laughs loudly, slapping her hand over her mouth. Kurogane yelled so loudly that he could he heard over the TV. Anna laughs, falling back against the coach. That's Kurogane for you. Anna smiles to herself.

"The Tsubame quickly follows!" says the announcer. "Looks like this year's new drivers are all excellent! So What about the next pair?! Oh! What about this one?! It's the Mokona!"

Syaoran catches up with the others and Sakura speeds up.

"Steadily, the leading group approaches the goal!"

Kurogane is the first to cross the finish line. The screen focuses on his face and Anna's heart flips and heat rises to her cheeks. She shakes her head, bringing her back down. Only 20 racers get to go on to the finals, Anna remembers.

Fai and three other cross the finish line shortly after Kurogane. A moment or two passes before five more cross the line, excluding Syaoran and the princess.

There is a bang sound over the TV. Then another. Then several dozen more. Smoke floods the flying field and several fliers fall out of the race.

"What's happening now?!" questions the announcer.

Anna narrows her eyes at the screen. "Someone is breaking the rules," Anna whispers.

Out of the smoke races Syaoran. He crosses the finish line. Anna sighs in relief but then searches the screen for the princess. There are only three spots left when the princess exits the smoke.

With only one spot remaining, two fliers race for the finish line. Anna recognizes the other flier as Yuzuriha from Oto. The two cross the line.

"We will decide the final space based on the video!" the announcer explains. "And the last finalist is… The Wing Egg Go!"

"Yes!" Anna exclaims, clapping her hands together. "Wonderful, just wonderful!"

Anna sighs and frowns. She falls back into the coach and looks up to the ceiling. She believes that the wind was odd but natural. The smoke, however, was not natural. The race was fixed, she decides.

It is a couple hours before the others return home. Anna watches them fly in on their fliers and park from the kitchen window. She smiles and heads for the front door and meets them outside. She catches eye contact with Syaoran.

"We're back," says Syaoran, smiling.

Anna smiles back. "Welcome back," she says.

"Wifey-chan!" coos Fai, skipping over to Anna, throwing his arms around her shoulders. "Did you watch the race?" he asks.

"Of course." She smiles. "All of you did amazing. Congratulations on making it to finals. I knew you would."

"We couldn't have done it without your help repairing the fliers," Syaoran says, walking up to them. Sakura with Mokona on her shoulder and Kurogane join them. Kurogane sends a glare towards Fai, who giggles. Fai drops his arms from Anna shoulders.

Anna smiles and nods. "I'm glad I could be of help. Nonetheless, all the credit goes to you fliers," Anna says. She leans towards Syaoran and kisses him on the cheek. His eyes widen and he blushes deeply. "Well done, Syaoran," she says before turning to the princess. The girl blushes before Anna even leans in and kisses her on the cheek. "Well done, princess. You did very good."

"Ah!" goes the princess. "Th-thank you, Anna-san!"

Anna smiles down at the girl and she smiles back.

"Mokona too!" the white creature coos. "Mokona liked riding on the flier! It was like riding a motorboat!" Mokona jumps from Sakura's shoulder to Anna.

Anna catches Mokona in her hands. She kisses Mokona on the cheek. "Well done, Mokona." Mokona giggles as she returns it to Sakura's shoulder.

"Do I get one too, Wifey-chan?" Fai asks with a wide smiling, pointing to his cheek.

"No!" barks Kurogane.

Fai giggles and Anna chuckles. Kuorgane sends both of them a glare. Fai chuckles and Anna bites her lip, smiling.

"Kissing the pork bun and the kids are one thing but—"

"But kissing me is out of the question, huh, Kurpo?" Fai says, cutting him short. "That hurts my feelings!"

Kurogane narrows his eyes at the wizard.

Fai throws his arms around Anna's shoulders once again. "Wifey-chan and I are friends; nothing more." He smiles widely.

Kurogane grumbles under his breath.

Anna smiles and turns her head to face Fai. Her lips brush against his cheek. She leans away and smiles at him. "Well done, Fai," she says.

He giggles. "Why, thank you, Anna-chan!"

Anna smiles and Fai lets her go. She faces Kurogane who stands with his hands on his hips, both angry and annoyed. Anna steps up to him and grips the collar of his shirt. She pulls on his collar for him to bend over and he complies. She kisses him on the cheek. "Well done, Kurogane," she says before pecking her lips on his. She lets go of his collar and he stands back up.

"I want an explanation," he says, looking down at her.

She sighs but nods. "It's customary in Rojus for the female royals to give knights a kiss on the cheek to thank them for their outstanding service to the crown and country," she explains. She faces the others. "You all did very well in the race. The custom just felt right in this situation."

"Ah!" goes Fai. "That makes since."

Anna smiles lightly and looks up to Kurogane. He sighs heavily but nods before looking the other way. Anna finds his annoyance rather adorable. But she won't tell him that, not here in front of the others.

After a moment, it is agreed that some work needs to be done to the fliers before the final race. It's just little things to make sure they are at their best for the final race. It is decided that they'll start in the morning and tonight they'll celebrate their win over dinner.

Anna, Sakura, and Mokona help Fai make dinner. As Anna cuts some vegetables, Fai asks her how her shoulder is feeling. She says that it's doing just fine with a smile. He smiles back, satisfied with her answer.

After dinner, the travelers sit around the table with drinks. Kurogane and Fai drink from glass bottles while the others, including Anna, drink from glass cups with straws. They all raises their glasses together.

"To the four of us making it to finals!" Fai coos. "Cheers!"

"Wah!" coos Mokona, sitting on Kurogane's head. "Kurogane already drank some of his! You can't do that~!"

Kurogane grumbles in replay and takes another drink from his bottle.

"You know," says Fai, "In the beginning of the race, I was really surprised by all the people racing."

Sakura asks Mokona what a motorboat his and the white creature explains with sound effects. Anna chuckles and returns her attention to the others conversation.

Fai leans back in his chair and says, "But you know, when I asked the people here, they also said that they've never seen so many contestants."

Kurogane leans forward on the table. "Is it some kind of set-up?" he asks.

"That I don't know," Fai says. "I mean we didn't organize this competition… Syaoran-kun, did you notice anything strange?"

The boy shakes his head. "Not really. I was probably too busy avoiding the wreckages to notice."

Anna chuckles. "So concentrated, huh?"

Syaoran gives her a weak smile.

Anna smiles back before facing Fai again. "I noticed something was off while I was watching," she said. "The smoke was unnatural." The men nod in agreement. Anna turns to the princess. "What about you, princess?" she asks. "Did you notice anything odd while racing?

The girl gives her and wide smile with her eyes closed. "Flames kept flash-flashing!" the girl says.

"Flash-flashing?" Syaoran questions, confused.

"Flash-flashing!" the princess replies, giggles with a blush to her cheeks.

_Oh no, _Anna thinks, a smile growing over her lips. She bites her tongue.

"Yes!" Sakura coos, standing with her arms out stretched. "There were flames in the smoke! And with the wind blowing, it felt like I was riding on the wind! Dancing in the wind! Making 'pyuuun' noises!"

"Pyuuun!" goes Mokona.

The princess grabs Mokona paws and the two spin around and around, giggling and chuckling.

"Pri-Princess?" Syaoran says.

Fai chuckles and Anna face him, getting a look at Kurogane's face. She chuckles out loud. His expression read "I have a bad feeling about this."

Sakura stops spin and Mokona rest on her shoulder, grinning. "Okay!" the princess says, pumping a fist in the air. "We're going to go fly!"

"Whee!" goes Mokona. "To to fly!"

The two run and jump out the door.

"PRINCESS!" Syaoran yells, running after them.

Fai chuckles again and again Anna looks toward him. She finds him picking up the princess's glass. He sniffs it and giggles. "So this is the reason," he says.

"What!?" Kurogane barks. "Didn't I tell you not to let them drink alcohol!?"

Anna reaches and grabs Mokona glass. She sniffs it and chuckles. "There's some in Mokona's cup as well," she says.

"Mokona probably put it in," Fai says. He chuckles.

There's a rattle noise outside as the engine of a flier starts. "No! Princess! Don't!" yells Syaoran.

"Syaoran-kun! Fly with us!" sings the princess.

"WAH!" goes Syaoran.

Anna watches as Kuroganes grows more and more pissed off. Leans further and further down to the table. Some he starts to tremble with anger. Anna bites her lip to keep herself from laughing. Fai seems to be doing the same.

There's a crash outside.

"THAT'S ENOUGH, YOU BRATS!" Kurogane barks, stumping to the door. "GET IT UNER CONTROL!"

Fai waves him off with a chuckle. "Go do your duty as a 'father,' Kuro-pii!" Fai says.

Anna chuckles. "Duty as a father?" Anna questions.

Fai nods. "Wifey-chan the mother and Kurger Burger the father."

Anna smiles, shaking her head. "And what does that make you, Fai?"

"Fai," he answers with a smile.

Anna smiles weakly in return, a little thrown by his reply.

Commotion comes from outside as Kurogane and Syaoran chase the princess and Mokona around the yard. Sakura and Mokona giggle all the while as Kurogane gets even more annoyed and Syaoran gets more and more worried. After a few minutes, the two drunks are finally caught. Kurogane carries the princess over his shoulder. Anna chuckles when she notices that the girl is fast asleep. Mokona is also asleep, wrapped up in Sakura's arms.

Kurogane carries them up stairs and Syaoran follows close behind. Fai nods to Anna to follow and she complies. Kurogane plumps the girl and the white creature down on the princess's bed. With a sigh, he leans up against the wall with one arm while the other rests on his hip. Syaoran tucks them in.

"She's pretty nimble for a drunk," Kurogane says. Anna can't tell if that's a compliment or not.

"They didn't last very long this time," Anna notes aloud. She is comparing this time to the time in Oto. It didn't seem to end back in Oto, chasing the drunk ones about. Then again, Fai and Syaoran were also drunk at the time.

"That must be because she's overexcited from passing the preliminaries," Fai explains. "Sakura-chan worked really hard."

Anna smiles with a nod and notes a smile on Syaoran's face.

Kurogane sighs. "I'm going to bed," he says, turning to the door. He faces Anna. "You should too."

Anna smiles and nods, following after him.

"We all should get some rest," Fai says.

Syaoran nods in agreement.

Kurogane walks Anna to her room just like every night. She faces him before entering her room. He leans down and kisses her goodnight.

"Hey," he says, leaning away.

"Yes?" she says, a little breathless.

"It's been four days," he says. "Can't you take that thing off your shoulder now?"

"Huh? Oh. Yes. I can." She smiles. "Tomorrow means no shoulder brace."

Kurogane's eyebrow twitches. "You need help getting it off?"

She thinks for a moment and attempts to move her shoulder. Sore but not in immediate pain. She shakes her head. "I think I can manage."

He sighs and takes a step forward. Anna tries to protest but Kurogane pushes himself into her room. She gives in with a blush and a sigh, closing her door. Her hand lingers on the door as her heart beat picks up speed. She's nervous. She's not sure why. Then again, to take the brace off, she has to take her clothes off. She's seen Kurogane shirtless but she's wearing a dress. She'll practically be naked. She blushes deeper and presses her head against the door.

"Oi, you okay over there?" Kurogane asks.

She nods her head. "Yes," she whispers. "I'm just a little more shy than I thought." It's more or less the truth.

Kurogane doesn't reply. After a moment of silence, Kurogane takes Anna's right hand in his. This startles her but only slightly. Slowly, she turns around to face him. Her face is probably as bright as her hair. Reluctantly, she looks up at Kurogane. She finds him smirking down at her. She looks away, biting her lip.

"I'm sure I can do this myself, Kurogane," she says quietly.

"I'm sure you can," he says, "But I want to make sure you're all right."

She mentally slaps herself. Of course that's the reason. She sighs and nods her head.

Anna steps to the side then around him, letting go of his hand. She's nervous and feels sick to the stomach. She can't help but think back to Yama. With a long sigh, Anna pushes her thoughts to the back of her mind.

A chill runs up her spine as Kurogane walks up to stand behind her. With a deep breath, she lifts her left arm and unzips her dress. She slides her arm into the dress and lifts it over her head and down over her right arm. It falls to the floor with a light sound. Now she stands in her bra and panties in front of Kurogane. She tries to clam herself with another deep breath. Releasing the breath, she looks over her shoulder up at Kurogane. She smiles. "Now, let's get this damn thing off me," she says.

Kurogane chuckles and shakes his head. He takes her right wrist his hand gently and slowly raises her arm up. "Does this hurt?" he asks.

She shakes her head. Using her left hand, she unclips the front of the wrap.

Kurogane unclips the shoulder and part over her upper arm. In one move, he pulls the wrap off her. He looks it over for a moment before tossing it on the floor. "How's your shoulder?" he asks.

It takes a moment for Anna to answer. She slowly starts to roll her shoulder. Sore but manageable. She slowly starts to raise it and before she knows it, her arm is over her head. She smiles widely and rolls her shoulder again. She faces Kurogane and smiles widelt. "My arm is just fine," she answers, relieved and happy.

Kurogane smiles. "Good."

"I'll have to thank Tomoyo properly next time I see her." She says this more or less to herself.

Kurogane reaches for Anna and she freezes, not sure what to expect. He rests a hand on her right shoulder. He turns her gently and peers over at her shoulder. Anna frowns as he traces the scar left behind by the surgery.

"What does it look like?" Anna asks, her eyes on the floor.

"A little like a bird," he answers.

"Really?" Anna reaches her arm over and feels her scar. She traces her fingertips over the soft protruding flesh. It feels like a V shape. She smiles lightly and drops her arm. "I can deal with that," she says softly. She looks up at Kurogane. He's frowning. She smiles weakly. "It bothers you though doesn't it?"

He sighs. "If you're fine with it then I'm fine with it."

"But you're not fine with it," she says, turning to face him. "Please be honest with me, Kurogane. It bothers you."

He frowns and looks the other way. Anna notes a blush on his cheeks. She then wraps her arms over her chest and looks to the floor.

Anna gasps as Kurogane reaches a hand into her hair. He pulls her face to his chest and wraps his other hand over her shoulders. He kisses the top of her head. "I'm just glad you're all right," he says, his voice deep and soft.

Anna pulls her arms out from between them and wraps them around his middle. She smiles. "Me too," she says in breath.

Kurogane lightly pulls Anna's hair to tilt her face up to him. He leans down and she stretches up. Their lips meet in the middle. Anna pulls her arms around him, sliding her hands up his chest, firm under her touch. She wraps her arms around his neck and smiles into him. He smiles back as he wraps an arm around her waist, pulling her tight against him. She blushes deeply at the feeling of something hard against her. Her heart picks up speed and her body grows hot. A shiver runs up her spine as Kurogane's hand traces up her back and to the hooks of her bra.

"You need help getting it off?" she asks, chuckling.

Kurogane chuckles back. "I'm sure I can do this myself, Anna," he says, leaning over her shoulder to get a better look at what he has to unhook.

"I'm sure you can," she says, breathless. This can't be compared to Yama. Now is different. She loves him and she knows that he loves her. This is the next step. To hell with what's proper.

She prays that Fai won't walk in this time.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: I did it. OMFG! I did it! I FINALLY UPDATED! I don't even want to think about how long it has been. I hope I hasn't lost any of you awesome readers.<p>

So I noticed that there wasn't an AN in the last chapter. Sorry about that. I totally forgot to type one up (I just wanted to get the chapter uploaded).

Anyway. Here's the chapter! Sorry the beginning is so boring but I hope I made up for it in the end. ;) Anna and Kurgie finally... Hehe. Had to keep things T rated so we just fade out there at the end. ;)

Please comment/review! Please! Please! Let me know that there are still people reading this!


	97. Piffle V

Piffle V

Sakura petals dance over her vision and Anna's eyes flutter open. She blinks once before closing her eyes tightly again. She pushes her face into the pillow under her head. _Again with unpleasant visions,_ she thinks. She's almost tempted to ask Ms. Yuuko more about them but she has decided that it is best to keep them to herself. Some things should just be left unsaid.

"Oi," Kurogane says. "You okay?" he asks.

She turns herself to face him. Nodding her head, she smiles. "I'm just fine," she says. She looks into his red eyes and a light blush crosses her cheeks.

He sighs with a frown. In one smooth movement, Kurogane leans in and kisses her on the forehead, propping himself on his elbow to look down at her. Brushing a hand against Anna's cheek, he traces his fingers down the side of her neck, up to her shoulder. Leaning over, he presses his lips to the bare skin of her shoulder.

Anna closes her eyes and sighs, reveling in his touch and the feeling of his lips on her skin. She opens one eye to look up at him. He returns the look there with a smirk.

"How are you feeling?" he asks, leaning away to get a better look at her.

Anna opens her other eye and thinks for a moment. She flips herself unto her back, having been on her side. There's in ache between her legs and she blushes at the thought of the activities that lead to it. A shiver runs up her spine and she notices that her feet are sticking out from under the covers. Pulling her knees up to tuck her feet in the blanket, she faces Kurogane with a smile. "I feel happy," she says. "How are you feeling?" she asks, throwing his question back at him. This seems to be a common occurrence between the two of them, throwing each other's questions and responses back at each other. She finds is rather amusing.

He chuckles but doesn't answer. He bends forward and crushes his lips against hers. His tongue pokes at her lips seeking entrance, which Anna happily and willingly grants. He tucks one arm under her head and other cups her cheek as the kisses grows deeper. Anna's heart flutters and she struggles to breathe properly through her nose, lost in Kurogane and all he is.

She is happy. There is no other word for it. _Promise me that you will keep living and find true happiness, _Odette had said. As Anna, Odile has fulfilled her promise to her elder sister. She found happiness, true undeniable happiness in the arms of a man that loves her unconditionally. And she loves him just as much and just the same. He is everything that she is not and everything that she needs. Now she understands why they call it love making. To make love is to put ones feelings into physical form. Anna chuckles at the thought, interrupting the kiss.

Kurogane pulls away and raises an eyebrow down at her. "What's so funny?" he demands, annoyed but amused and a little out of breath.

She shakes her head, reaching her fingers to his cheek. "Nothing," she answers. "I'm just happy." She moves her fingertips slowly up Kurogane's cheek to his forehead, moving locks of hair out of his face. She reaches her hand into his hair and smiles at the softness of it. "I love you, Kurogane," she says.

Kurogane smiles before leaning back down to her. "And I love you," he says, pressing his forehead to hers.

They stay like that for a long while. They gaze into each other's eyes. Kurogane looks at her, really looks at her, seeing her for all she is. Anna looks at him, seeing his love reflected in the color of his eyes.

She wishes that they could lie like this forever but a thought hits her. Reluctantly, she peels her eyes from his and looks to the clock on the night stand. She sighs at the sight. Sooner rather than later, it'll be time to get out of bed.

Kurogane follows her gaze to the clock. He groans and drops his head gently against Anna's chest. She smiles and wraps her arms around him. They lie like that in silence for a moment then yet another thought crosses Anna's mind, one that has been bothering her more than she wants to admit. She looks at her wrist. The silver bangle is still there but how much longer will it be? She tenses at the thought and she's sure Kurogane can feel her do so. She bites her lip.

He pushes himself off her and looks down at her. "What's wrong?" he asks, his brow puckered.

Anna closes her eyes and shakes her head. "It's nothing," she says, her voice just above a whisper.

"There's something bothering you."

She sighs and nods her head, giving in. "Yes, there is." Many things actually, but she's only referring to one at the moment. Her eyes land on his right arm.

"But you're not going to tell me what it is, are you?"

When she says nothing, he calls her a pain in the ass.

She sighs, shaking her head, and pushes herself around Kurogane and up into a sitting position. Holding the covers over her bare chest with her right hand while her left sits in her lap, she stares down at her wrist. Her eyes grow blurry as thoughts fill her head. She's happy but all of this is temporary, isn't it? How many more worlds will she be able to travel with her companions, with Kurogane? What if the next world is her last? She slaps one hand over her face while the other tightens its grip on the blanket. Tears pour from her eyes and she struggles to hide them behind her hand.

Kurogane quickly sits up next to her. "Hey," he says, peering down to get a look at her face. He reaches a hand around her but second guesses the movement, deciding to drop his hand behind her instead.

"I'm sorry," she sobs. "I'll stop crying in a moment."

Kurogane says nothing and just waits.

Anna inhales a deep breath. After a minute, she releases it. She rubs her eyes then drops her hand back in her lap. Hooking a finger around the bangle, she pulls at it. "This bracelet," she says, her voice is soft yet strained. "This bracelet will break and I won't be able to move to the next world." She looks up at him then. "What will happen then?"

With no second thought, he says, "We'll deal with that when it comes."

Anna shakes her head. "That's what I've been telling myself all this time and I can't anymore."

He sighs and thinks for a moment. "When the bracelet breaks, I'm guessing it'll be when we first enter the world, right? Then that means we would have the time that we're in that world to figure something out. So, until then, don't worry about it."

"But I can't not think about it. Every time I move, I can feel the bracelet on me, constantly reminding me that I can't escape it and I… I don't want to leave you, Kurogane. Or the others. I know I need to return to Rojus but now I… I just don't want to leave all of you."

His hands ball into tight fists. "Is this what you've been worrying about all this time?" he says, anger lacing his words.

"There are other things as well but this is at the top."

Kurogane sighs loudly, upset. "You're not alone, Anna. I've been thinking about it too and I haven't come up with anything yet. And seeing that you haven't come up with anything either, I think it's best if we cross that bridge when we reach it. Until then, don't worry about it. Or worry about it less than you do now."

Anna looks up at him, prepared to retort but the look in his eyes silences her. She nods her head, casting her eyes down. "I guess you're right but I…"

"But nothing. Rely on me for once. And for the record, I don't want to leave you either."

His words make her smile but she casts her eyes downwards. "I'm not used to relying on others."

"No shit."

Anna lets out a short laugh. "I'm weaker than I expected," she says, "At least when I'm around you. I'm sorry."

"That's not something you need to apologize for, idiot."

She shakes her head but smiles at his words.

Kurogane sighs, frustration in the sound. Anna looks up at him. He looks as though he wants to say something more but doesn't. With an exhale, he covers his eyes with a hand, a frown on his lips.

Anna gives him a moment to put his thoughts together before asking what's bothering him. "It's something I said, isn't it?" she asks, a little panic in her voice.

He opens his mouth to speak but nothing comes out. His jaw tightens and he presses his lips into a flat, upset, line.

"Kurogane," she whispers. She's never seen him like this before and she's worried. She speaks slowly. "I'm not going to pressure you to answer. I'm obviously not telling you everything. It would be unfair of me to ask you to tell me something you don't want to tell me. But I will say that I wouldn't mind if you relied on me a little as well. I may be weak but I'm not that weak."

Kurogane sighs, shaking his head. Opening one eye in order to look at her through his fingers, he soon drops his hand from his face and turns to face her head on. "Do you regret it?" he asks. "Being with me?"

The question takes Anna off guard and she lets the shock show on her face. "No!" she exclaims, shaking her head. "No," she says. "I don't regret anything." Her eye brows pucker upwards. Why would she regret being with him? Because now she doesn't want to leave him? Maybe if their relationship didn't get to this point then maybe she wouldn't be torn up about leaving him? That's what he thinks, isn't it? Oh, dear Goddess. Tears sting her eyes once again. She should've kept her thoughts to herself. She never should've said anything. She damns herself for being so weak. She reaches her hands to his face, wrapping them around his neck and brushes her thumbs against his cheeks. She opens her mouth to speak but Kurogane beats her to it.

"Back in Yama," he says, his voice quiet. "You were going to stop me, weren't you? When I kissed you that night, before the wizard walked in."

Anna opens her mouth to reply but nothing comes out. She keeps her eyes on his as she thinks of a response. "I'll be honest," she starts slowly; "I was confused about my feelings back in Yama. I didn't understand what I was feeling until I nearly died. I didn't want to leave you then either. I love you and I'm happy and I regret nothing that has happened between us, except maybe this conversation." She smiles weakly. "I've finally felt happiness again. And it's all thanks to you, Kurogane. I'm sorry. I never should've said anything. I'm so sorry, Kurogane."

Kurogane sighs, turning his face to kiss her thumb. "Don't apologize," he says. "I shouldn't have asked such a stupid question."

She shakes her head. "No, it wasn't a stupid question." She frowns. "But now I have to ask. Do you regret it? Regret being with someone like me?"

"No, I don't. Not one bit."

"Really?" she presses, searching his eyes. She finds no deception in his gaze. She releases a breath, unaware that she was holding one in. Her hands slide down his neck to his shoulders, a smile growing on her face. Kurogane is well built. His muscles are visible and his flesh is firm. She believes that Odette would call her one lucky woman.

He takes her hands in his and squeezes them, snapping her out of her thoughts. "I don't regret anything that has happened between us," he says, reassuring her.

She smiles with a sigh, leaning forward to press her forehead to his chest. "I don't either," she says.

"Good," he says, a light smile on his face.

Anna giggles lightly, pressing her lips to his skin.

"I love you," he says, kissing the top of her head.

"And I love you, Kurogane," she says, collapsing into him. He welcomes her, wrapping his arms around her. She rests her head in the curve of his shoulder. "I don't make any of this easy for you, do I?" she asks.

"You're a pain in the ass but I'm used to it."

Anna nods her head with a chuckle. "Can we stay like this for a while longer?" Anna asks. "I don't feel like getting out of bed yet."

"Yeah," Kurogane says. "I don't feel like it either." He falls back against the bed, taking Anna with him. Anna laughs out loud as Kurogane pulls her on top of him. With one arm around her hips, the other holds her left hand to his chest.

She doesn't want to leave him and he doesn't want to leave her. But she needs to return to Rojus at some point and at some point the bracelet will break. She's not going to worry about that now, though. She'll take every day as it comes. Live for today and as if there is no tomorrow. As long as Kurogane's here she can deal with that. She feels silly now. There's nothing she or Kurogane can do until the bracelet actually breaks. So what is the point of worrying about it? She already knew this and yet she panicked just now. She's never panicked before meeting Kurogane. She's always been able to keep a level head about things. She's been able to suppress her thoughts until now. She wonders why she couldn't anymore but then it hits her. Things are different between them now. Their relationship has reached an entirely new level. However, just like before, she's still not really sure how to deal with it, or how to act, but she'll take every day as it comes. There's no point in worrying about the future when there's now, here, in Kurogane's arms.

She pushes all thoughts related to parting to the back of her mind and locks them away. She will not open them until the day comes that she has no choice but to pull them out.

With her face over his, Anna's hair cascades around them like a wall of flame. Kurogane runs a hand through her hair. He tucks it behind her ear, in order to get a better look at her face, and leaves his hand there. He brushes his thumb over her cheek.

"I don't have any intention of letting you go," he says. "But if it does come to that, I'll find you."

His words cause her to smile widely, a blush to her cheeks. Leaning down, she presses her lips to his. "That makes me very happy," she replies.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So... I've offically stop counting the days that pass between updates... ANYWAY. Here's the next chapter. I think it's a little sad but these things needed to be said and I think the chapter ended well enough. ;)<p>

Comment/review and let me know what you think and eventually I'll update again. I HAVE **NOT** ABANDONED THIS STORY! I have every intention of finishing this thing if it's the last thing I do!


	98. Piffle VI

Piffle VI

Anna lets the hot water run down her body as the scent of flowers fills the stall. Once she is finished she dries herself and dresses. She smiles to herself as she is able to pull her hair back into a ponytail on her own. Fai is sure to be disappointed, seeming to enjoy doing it himself, but he will get over it. With a chuckle, she exits the bathroom.

She is startled to find Kurogane standing against the wall opposite the bathroom. He leans against the wall with his hands in her pockets. She blushes a little at the sight of him in clothing but swallows her thoughts. "I thought you went downstairs," she says, walking to him.

He steps forward, meeting her in the middle of the hallway. He leans down and presses his lips to hers. "I wanted to make sure you were okay," he says, leaning away.

She raises an eyebrow at him. "Really, now? What were you expecting to happen while I was in the shower?"

"With how clumsy you are, anything can happen. Like falling on a pole or tripping for your own two feet." He gives her a smirk.

Anna's mouth hangs open in disbelief. "You're actually bringing that up?"

He shrugs his shoulders with a smile. "That doctor was pretty sure I had something to do with your injury."

"Well, that doesn't matter anymore. I'm fine so there is nothing for you to worry about." She sighs but decides that she wants to continue teasing him. She steps up closer to him until there is barely an inch between them. Looking up at him, she gives him a grin. "On the other hand, if you are truly worried about me falling in the shower then I suggest next time you join me."

He smirks down at her. "Maybe next time I will," he says, taking her chin in his hand. He bends down to meet her lips. He kisses her for a long moment but Anna can feel him holding back.

Anna is the one to break the kiss. She takes a deep breath, trying to cool herself down. She chuckles, shaking her head. She says, "We should head downstairs." She takes his hand in hers. "This way I won't fall down the stairs," she adds, smiling up at him.

He chuckles and lets her lead the way.

They enter the dining area to find Fai sitting at the table with the TV on. The wizard turns around in his chair and says, "Morning!" He takes a second look at the couple and gives them a cat grin, wiggling his brow. "So how was your night? I didn't hear Kuropo return to his room."

Anna's cheeks blush deeply and she slaps her free hand over her face to hide herself.

"Don't go there, wizard!" barks Kurogane.

Fai giggles. "If anybody went anywhere, it was you love birds."

"Why you-!"

"So!" Anna chimes, letting go of Kurogane's hand to take a seat at the table. "Where are the others?" she asks, determined to change the subject. If there is anything she would rather not discuss, it is she and Kurogane's nightly activities. She is not sure if that is even something she would be able to talk to Odette about. Not without blushing like a mad woman at least. The thought saddens her a little that she is unable to have such a conversation with her sister but she quickly puts the thought aside.

Fai answers her question. He says that Syaoran and the princess with Mokona went out shopping.

Kurogane continues to stand, his hands on his hips. "How come you didn't go with them?" he questions. "Didn't you wake up early, too?"

"Ooh. Would you rather have had me leave so the two of you could have some more alone time together?"

"Drop it, wizard!"

Fai chuckles and waves his hand at him. "Now, now, daddy. Let's go eat breakfast."

"Who let you call me 'daddy'?!"

Their shouting match is cut short by the sound of a familiar announcer on the TV. It is the same one who covered the race yesterday. Scenes of yesterday's race flash on the screen, one of which is of Kurogane.

"Hyuu!" goes Fai. "Kuro-sama! How cool you are!" Fai's face goes serious and he crosses his arms in front of his chest. "I bet no one watching could tell that you have children of your own." He nods his head mockingly.

"YOU STOP WITH THAT JOKE RIGHT NOW!" screams Kurogane.

Anna, unable to continue biting her tongue, lets out laugh.

"You CANNOT be okay with this?!"

Anna stifles her laughter. _Considering what we did last night, it is only fitting,_ she thinks, a light blush to her cheeks. "Since I'm 'Mommy-chan,' I don't have any problems with it." She gives him a smile that takes him by surprise.

Kurogane sighs and runs a hand through his hair. "I just tried of your messed up nicknames," he says.

Fai laughs and smiles with his eyes closed. "I'm not," he says. Kurogane is given no time to react. Fai stands and says that he will go start breakfast.

"I'll help," Anna says, standing and following him to the kitchen. She hears Kurogane groans and open the front door. From the kitchen windows, she watches him open the engine cap to his flier. They will need to repair and tune up all the fliers before the next race. She wonders if she should be out there to help him decides against it.

Fai starts to heat a frying pan and Anna follows his instructions to gather some ingredients from the fridge. She begins to chop a couple fruits and he begins to stir some sort of batter in a bowl.

"So you and Kurgs are that close, huh?" Fai says, peering at Anna's knife work.

She blushes but smiles. "We're going growing closer, yes," she answers.

"Well, that's good," he says. The tone of his voice causes Anna to look at him. He merely smiles back. "I'm glad you're happy, Anna-chan."

Anna smiles back. "I'm sure you will find happiness, too, Fai. The trick is allowing yourself to be happy." The last part surprises even her.

Fai's surprise shows on his face but he smiles faintly. "Is that so," he says, dropping his eyes to the batter bowl.

Anna reaches her hand out to him and places it over his. "I'm sorry," she says. "I said something unnecessary." He looks at her, further surprise on his face. She smiles at him with her eyes closed. "It is too early to be discussing something so serious." She opens her eyes. "But I want you to know that I'm here when you decided to be happy."

She and Kurogane's relationship has taken strides since they first met. They were never quite friends and now they are lovers. Her relationships with the princess, Syaoran, and Mokona have grown into true friendships she cherishes deeply. Her relationship with Fai, of the other hand, is a little more complicated. She believes them to be friends and she thinks that Fai might not feel the same. There was a wall between her and Kurogane that soon crumbled but there is a gorge between her and Fai that does not have a bridge that she can cross. There is a bridge, however. It is only missing the boards for her to walk across. She has every intention of finding them and buiding the bridge.

* * *

><p>Author's Note: So... Let us not dwell on the time that has passed but on the time that is to come. I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! I'M SO SORRY! I even said I wasn't going to abandon this story then I went and took so long to update. But I do have a reason: College. A full course load and two and a half jobs is kicking my ass. Plus I didn't get a break this summer because of a teaching intership. So I legit haven't had the time to update. As of to how I managed to make time to write this one chapter is beyond me. But here it is! I'm sorry it is pretty short but this was all I could manage right away. Hope you enjoyed it though! Pleae comment!<p> 


	99. Anouncement

Announcement

Dear readers,

I have some bad news for you. I know that I have said repeatedly that I would not abandon this story but I have decided that I just cannot continue writing The Tale of a Swan.

As you may have noticed, the time gaps between updates have been quite large with the last few chapters. I blamed my lack of time and my work load but there is another reason. I have been losing my muse slowly and painfully and now my muse is officially dead. I have tried re-reading the manga and re-watching the anime and reading other Tsubasa fan fiction but I just can't revive my muse for this story. I believe that I bit off a lot more than I could chew when I planned out this fic. I wanted to go all the way to the end but I just can't do it now. Believe me when I say that I have tried.

I am sorry to be doing this to you lovely readers. I want to thank you so much for sticking it out and reading all ninety-something chapters I managed to crank out until now. It has been a great 2-3 years writing for you. Your reviews and messages have meant so much to me and I feel horrible doing this to you.

I don't want to make any promises but I may or may not write a companion piece as some form of an ending for The Tale of Swan so that I don't leave you totally hanging about how the whole thing ends. I may enter other fandoms, if you're interested in following me. I've learned my lesson about long storylines and will from now on keep them short and sweet. I believe my writing has improved thanks to all of you and your input and I don't want to completely stop writing.

If you have anything you would like to say to me, positive or otherwise, feel free to leave a review or send me message. Again, I apologize and thank you.

Sincerely,

Chances vs Pills


	100. Anouncement 2

Announcement 2

Dear Readers,

I have some great news for you! I have posted the start of an epilogue to The Tale of a Swan! It is titled Swan Song: An Epilogue. I wanted to post an announcement here for those who do not follow me as an author but would like to read the companion piece I managed to put out.

Best,

Chance vs Pills


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